Effects of Housing Conditions on Health in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The study assessed the conditions of rural housing and the extent to which housing conditions related with household socio-economic characteristics in an oil-rich Nigerian State of Akwa Ibom. The study design was based on household cross-sectional survey. Direct observation and questionnaire administration were employed to collect both socio-economic and housing data from 540 randomly sampled households spread across 90 rural communities. Housing condition was measured using five broad indicators: safety/security, indoor temperature/ventilation, building condition, hygiene/sanitation and environmental quality, while socio-economic characteristics were examined using income, educational attainment, occupation, household size and crowding. Alongside descriptive statistics, the multiple correlation technique was used to analyze the relationship between housing conditions and socio-economic variables.