Published: 26 August 2013
Authors: Pene, G.
We spend more than 75% of our time indoors, so keeping the houses of people with asthma and COPD warm and dry is crucial for maintaining their health. Our Tokelau community partners have highlighted that rising energy and fuel prices are seriously straining the household budgets of low-income families and making it very difficult for them to pay their bills and maintain the health of the household. To understand the challenges and pressures faced by extended Tokelau families, we will undertake a series of six focus groups with 20 families, who have a member with asthma or COPD in the Wellington region. Based on the results of these focus groups we will develop a model of community resilience with our Tokelau partners. Using the principle of ‘no research without service,’ we will then carry out the Healthy Housing Index in each household to see if referral to a housing remediation service could improve housing conditions.
