Home Indoor Environmental Quality and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has been found to influence children’s health and behaviour, particularly conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This research aimed to ascertain whether housing IEQ impacted the symptoms of ADHD and its related behaviours. This study...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2023-02, Vol.15 (4), p.2899
Main Authors: Alizadeh, Sima, Bridge, Catherine E, Judd, Bruce H, Eapen, Valsamma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Air quality
Anxiety
Architecture, Domestic
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Autism
Behavior
Children
Cognitive ability
Diagnosis
Environmental quality
Environmental quality assessment
Fluorescent lighting
Heavy metals
Home environment
Housing
Hyperactivity
Impulsive behavior
Indoor air quality
Indoor environments
Learning
Light
Lighting
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Mental depression
Mental health
Pollutants
Psychological aspects
Public health
Quality assessment
Quality control
Sleep disorders
Socioeconomic factors
Students
Sustainability
Thermal comfort
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Summary:Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has been found to influence children’s health and behaviour, particularly conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This research aimed to ascertain whether housing IEQ impacted the symptoms of ADHD and its related behaviours. This study involved 435 parents of children and adolescents (aged 5–17) with ADHD residing in Australia. We utilised an online survey tool comprising the home version of the ADHD Rating Scale for Children and Adolescents and the Housing Environmental Quality Assessment Tool. The findings revealed that all the housing IEQ factors were associated with both the diagnosis and the severity of the symptoms. The results indicated that, for over one in ten children with ADHD (13.3%), the diagnosis was impacted by a collective contribution of air quality, acoustic quality, lighting quality, and the thermal comfort within their home. The air quality and the thermal comfort predicted a 4% variance in the severity of inattention. Additionally, air and lighting qualities predicted a 9.7% variance in the severity of hyperactivity-impulsivity, and all the factors of air quality, acoustic quality, lighting quality, and thermal comfort predicted a 10.9% variance in the severity of combined ADHD. In conclusion, this research provided insights into the importance of housing features and suggests that improving the housing indoor environmental quality, mainly thermal comfort, air, and lighting quality, could positively correlate with alleviating ADHD symptoms and severity among children and adolescents. Therefore, ensuring an appropriate indoor environmental quality should be prioritised in housing design, modification, and building, especially for those with ADHD.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su15042899