IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bjc/journl/v13y2026i4p883-894.html

Assessing Housing Quality and Its Impact on Public Health in Rural-Urban Area of Idah Town, Nigeria

Author

Listed:
  • Precious Hepzibah

    (University of East London)

  • Joy Oyiza Obadoba

    (Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, University of Lagos)

Abstract

This paper investigates the state of housing quality and its associated health impacts in the rural-urban region of Idah, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive cross-sectional approach, data were collected from a systematically sampled group of three hundred and fifty households using structured questionnaires. The collected data were subjected to descriptive analysis using statistical tools commonly employed in social science research. The findings reveal a worrying picture of housing and health conditions in Idah. Regarding public health impacts, the study found alarming health challenges among residents. The prevalence of typhoid and malaria cases was notably high, affecting 43% of the surveyed population. Additionally, cases of diarrhoea, malaria only, and undiagnosed illness (which refer to conditions where individuals experience sickness symptoms but do not seek medical testing or hospital care) were reported by 17%, 12%, and 11% of respondents, respectively. However, 62% of respondents lived in rooms that had only one window. Among these, only 23% had windows on both room walls, limiting ventilation and natural light. Furthermore, overcrowding was identified as a critical issue, with 38% of households accommodating more than four individuals in a single room. A significant proportion of the surveyed residents (69%) lacked access to a portable water source. In conclusion, this study underscores the grim reality of poor housing quality in Idah and highlights its significant association with various health issues experienced by the local population. These findings emphasise the urgent need for comprehensive interventions to improve housing conditions and, by extension, public health in the region. The study's implications extend beyond Idah and serve as a valuable reference for policymakers, researchers, international organisations and non-governmental organisations working towards enhancing housing quality and overall well-being in rural and sub-rural areas of emerging nations.

Suggested Citation

  • Precious Hepzibah & Joy Oyiza Obadoba, 2026. "Assessing Housing Quality and Its Impact on Public Health in Rural-Urban Area of Idah Town, Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 13(4), pages 883-894, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bjc:journl:v:13:y:2026:i:4:p:883-894
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/uploads/vol13-iss4-pg883-894-202605_pdf.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/view/assessing-housing-quality-and-its-impact-on-public-health-in-rural-urban-area-of-idah-town-nigeria/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:ava:cbnefr:v:57:y:2019:i:4:a:15:p: is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Krieger, J. & Higgins, D.L., 2002. "Housing and health: Time again for public health action," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(5), pages 758-768.
    3. Thomson, Hilary & Thomas, Sian, 2015. "Developing empirically supported theories of change for housing investment and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 205-214.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kenneth Chatindiara & Lochner Marais & Jan Cloete, 2022. "Housing and Child Health in South Africa: The Value of Longitudinal Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Peng Nie & Yan Li & Lanlin Ding & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2021. "Housing Poverty and Healthy Aging in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Masoud SAFAEE POUR & Said MALEKI & Hoseen HATAMINEJAD & Masoud MODANLOU, 2017. "Evaluation of City Prosperity Index in Iranian-Islamic Cities: A Case Study of Ahvaz Metropolis," Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies (CJUES), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(04), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Sandra J. Newman, 2008. "Does housing matter for poor families? A critical summary of research and issues still to be resolved," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 895-925.
    5. Kaylee Ramage & Meaghan Bell & Lisa Zaretsky & Laura Lee & Katrina Milaney, 2021. "Is the Right to Housing Being Realized in Canada? Learning from the Experiences of Tenants in Affordable Housing Units in a Large Canadian City," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-9, June.
    6. Sarah Kimball & Marley Reynoso & Courtney McKnight & Don Des Jarlais, 2024. "Hepatitis C treatment outcomes among people who inject drugs experiencing unstable versus stable housing: Systematic review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(4), pages 1-16, April.
    7. Alex Doleac & Sandeep Langar & Tulio Sulbaran, 2024. "Balancing Sustainability: An Analysis of Habitat for Humanity Affiliates in Mississippi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-13, February.
    8. Peng Nie & Andrew E. Clarck & Conchita D'Ambrosio & Lanlin Ding, 2020. "Income-related health inequality in urban China (1991-2015): The role of homeownership and housing conditions," Working Papers 524, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    9. Carolina Navarro & Luis Ayala & José Labeaga, 2010. "Housing deprivation and health status: evidence from Spain," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 555-582, June.
    10. Matheus Koengkan & José Alberto Fuinhas & Anna Auza & Uğur Ursavaş, 2023. "The Impact of Energy Efficiency Regulations on Energy Poverty in Residential Dwellings in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area: An Empirical Investigation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-29, February.
    11. Sima Alizadeh & Catherine E. Bridge & Bruce H. Judd & Valsamma Eapen, 2023. "Home Indoor Environmental Quality and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, February.
    12. Milovanska-Farrington, Stefani, 2020. "Parents labor supply and childhood obesity: Evidence from Scotland," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    13. Sikhumbuzo Archibald Buthelezi & Thandi Kapwata & Bianca Wernecke & Candice Webster & Angela Mathee & Caradee Yael Wright, 2019. "Household Fuel Use for Heating and Cooking and Respiratory Health in a Low-Income, South African Coastal Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-12, February.
    14. Nisha Naicker & June Teare & Yusentha Balakrishna & Caradee Yael Wright & Angela Mathee, 2017. "Indoor Temperatures in Low Cost Housing in Johannesburg, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-18, November.
    15. Dragan Gjorgjev & Mirjana Dimovska & George Morris & John Howie & Mirjana Borota Popovska & Marija Topuzovska Latkovikj, 2019. "How Good Is our Place—Implementation of the Place Standard Tool in North Macedonia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Steven Henry Dunga, 2019. "The Relationship between Health Outcomes and Household Socio-Economics Characteristics," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 10(6), pages 89-96.
    17. Philipp Ager & James J Feigenbaum & Casper W Hansen & Hui Ren Tan, 2024. "How the Other Half Died: Immigration and Mortality in U.S. Cities," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(1), pages 1-44.
    18. Judith Schröder & Susanne Moebus & Julita Skodra, 2022. "Selected Research Issues of Urban Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-28, May.
    19. Juan Pablo Díaz-Sánchez & Moisés Obaco & Javier Romaní, 2022. "Measuring Overcrowding in Households with Children: Official vs. Actual Thresholds in the Ecuadorian Case," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(2), pages 383-398, April.
    20. Min Zhou & Wei Guo, 2023. "Self-rated Health and Objective Health Status Among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China: A Healthy Housing Perspective," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(1), pages 1-24, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bjc:journl:v:13:y:2026:i:4:p:883-894. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Renu Malsaria (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.