Housing items and amenities a non-traditional risk factors for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality

Abstract Background Higher satisfaction levels are associated with improved psychological well-being (PWB), such as housing amenities being a determinant of health. However, their potentially influencing effect on mortality risk at this moment is not enough. For this reason, searching for non-traditional risk factors that could reduce all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk is our primary objective of this study. Methods The cohort study was based on the framework of the international study Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE). Data from the Official Lithuanian Mortality Register were used to evaluate mortality from the baseline survey (2006- 2008) to 31 December 2022. The 20 housing items and amenities were used. The items were categorized into three groups: basic needs, socially oriented needs, and luxury. Results A total of 6472 participants aged 45-72 years were examined in the baseline survey. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis results show that increasing the number of housing items per 1 unit decreased the risk of all-cause mortality by 8% (Hazard ratio (HR)=0.92;95%CI 0.90-0.94) in males and by 7% (HR = 0.93;95%CI 0.91-0.96) in females. Increasing the number of housing items per 1 unit decreased the risk of mortality from CVD by 10% (HR = 0.90;95%CI 0.87-0.93) in males and by 9% (HR = 0.91;95% CI 0.87-0.95) in females (data adjusted by age, education, smoking, metabolic syndrome, PWB, CVD at baseline survey). Once more, the increased number of items from the luxury group (4-7 vs. 0-1) significantly decreased all-cause and CVD mortality risk (respectively in males HR = 0.74(95%CI 0.60-0.91) and HR = 0.71(95%CI 0.52-0.96); in females HR = 0.66(95%CI 0.48-0.91) and HR = 0.57(95%CI 0.33-0.96). Conclusions These data suggest that the increasing number of household items and amenities, as an essential aspect of people’s lives, may be used as non-traditional risk factors in assessing the risk of all-cause mortality and CVD. Key messages • Household items and amenities may be used as non-traditional risk factors in assessing the risk of all-cause mortality and CVD. • Increasing the number of housing items decreased the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality.