Housing conditions related to Inuit children's health: report

A family'slower satisfaction rate in living conditions and lack of home ownership are related to poor physical and mental health inInuit children,according to a new Statistics Canada report.

The report compared the healthof1,233 Inuit children agetwo to five tophysicalhousing characteristics like overcrowding, aparent's reported satisfactionwith their housing and home ownership.

It was the first study of its kind touse a population-based sample of children under sixyears old tolook at various aspects of housing and children's health outcomes.

The report shows more than a third of Inuit children age two to fivelive in crowded homes compared to less than sevenper cent of non-Aboriginal children.

Additionally, close to 30 per cent of Inuit children live inhomes in need of major repair, compared to less than eightper cent of non-Aboriginalchildren.

Home satisfaction

The report shows children who live in a home owned by their parents were more likely to have betterphysicalhealthand were less likely to report problems with mental health.

Inuit children whose parents reported lower levels of housing satisfaction had more chronic and respiratory conditions,earinfections,inattention hyperactivity and emotional symptoms.

Housing satisfaction was measured on a sliding scale from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied."

"We found a lot of the physical housing characteristics to be associated with parental satisfactions," saidDafnaKohen, one of the authors of the study.

"For example, families that reported living in housing that was less crowded, less likely to need major repair and those who owned their homeswere more likely to report being satisfied with their housing.

"Housing satisfaction and home ownership were the most important factors when all factors were considered."

The report,Housing and health among Inuit children,is based off a 2006 Statistics Canada Aboriginal Children's Survey.Half of the children studied were fromNunavut.

Not the only factors

The director of Global and Indigenous Health at the University of Toronto disputes some aspects of the report.Anna Banerji says there are many factors that effect a child's health.

"Overcrowding, I'm sure, is one of them, as is poverty as is poor nutrition, as is so many other things. It's not straightforward," she said.

"There are so many factors that are in play when you look at a child's health."

ButBanerji points to one findingthat can't be disputed:Inuit childrendisproportionatelylive inovercrowded homes and houses that are in need of repair.

She says the federal government should prioritize basic needs like housing, access to clean water and nutritious food to address health.