For a novel study looking at the connections between energy poverty and preschool respiratory infections, we have played a key role in fostering additional partnerships to expand the project and achieve greater real-world impact.
The core issue
From clinical practice, the effects of cold, damp housing on respiratory conditions in preschool children can already be seen. An estimated 31% of Scottish homes are living in energy poverty, while acute respiratory infections are the leading cause of hospital admissions and antibiotic prescriptions for preschool children in the UK. These infections can contribute to the later development of childhood asthma and premature adult death. However, the significance of this is not yet understood: what proportion of preschool respiratory infections could be avoided by addressing the issue of underheated homes?
In addition, some ways of making homes warmer trap air in. There are concerns that trapping air could increase the risk of respiratory infections by also trapping in mould, smoke and indoor air pollution. Because of this, we do not yet know what the best way is to make homes warmer AND children healthier.
Dr Olivia Swann – a paediatric consultant at NHS Lothian and a data scientist at the University of Edinburgh – is leading the way to better understand energy poverty, and wider environmental influences, on childhood health:
“Children under age five are almost like canaries in the coal mine. Their home environment has a disproportionate effect on their health because they spend so much time in their homes in comparison with adults and older children.”
Dr Olivia Swann, Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids Study Lead, University of Edinburgh
DataLoch’s unique contributions
At DataLoch, we have participated in this important project since its inception and have played a critical role in the project securing significant funding. We have enabled novel energy poverty-risk data from prepayment smart meters to be linked to healthcare data for the first time, allowing the association between energy poverty and childhood respiratory infections to be examined. This powerful pilot data confirmed the feasibility of a larger project. In addition, the ability to link healthcare data with individual homes through our service opens up a new level of data linkage and the possibility to see how housing conditions impact health.
“The ability to quickly access and link new data to a large regional healthcare dataset allowed me to produce high-quality pilot data for a Wellcome Fellowship application. This has secured five years funding for a major new study which will be expanded across Scotland. The DataLoch team has been hugely supportive at every step, and I would highly recommend working with them."
Dr Olivia Swann, Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids Study Lead, University of Edinburgh
In partnership with this project, we are now developing an environmental dataset which contains key data on air pollution and weather linked to postcodes, as well as the energy efficiency of an individual’s home, that will become available for other research projects.
Expanding the ambition
This project has already progressed quickly, but bringing industry, third-sector, and policy-making organisations together will significantly improve the potential for genuine real-world change.
At the Usher Institute, an event scheduled for 1 May 2025 will bring different parties together – including social housing representatives, health professionals, home builders, local government housing teams, policymakers, children’s charities, and those with lived experience of energy poverty – to talk about the data-informed evidence needed for policymakers to address the issue of underheated homes and improve the health and wellbeing of affected families.
Explore the latest through the project website:
Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids study
And register for the 1 May 2025 event:
Event information and registration
Case Studies
