Hospital Asthma Admissions Linked To Electricity Prices
university-of-canterbury
Tue Apr 09 2013 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Hospital Asthma Admissions Linked To Electricity Prices
Tuesday, 9 April 2013, 11:15 am
Press Release: University of Canterbury
Hospital Asthma Admissions Linked To Electricity Prices And Home Heating, UC Research Finds
April 9, 2013
Hospital asthma admissions are strongly connected to electricity prices, a University of Canterbury (UC) economics researcher has found.
The study by PhD student Rachel Webb and supervised by economics and finance researcher Dr Andrea Menclova, found the relationship between asthma admissions and electricity prices stronger and more robust for young children than for the general population.
``Increasing electricity prices increase asthma admissions by reducing the level of home heating. Since asthma is such a prominent problem in developed countries, these findings may have important implications for public health policy,’’ Dr Menclova says.
``Further work is warranted to fully investigate the relationship between asthma and indoor heating for young school children in New Zealand. The incentive of a school to save on electricity by reducing heating is presumably less direct than at home. School terms, in particular the start of the school year, have a well-documented effect on asthma hospital admissions.
``If people adjust to higher electricity prices by improving the efficiency of their home heating allowing them to have increased heating for the same cost, this should improve asthma symptoms and lower the number of asthma admissions.
``Our results suggest that there is a highly significant relationship between the lack of home heating and asthma hospital admissions,’’ Dr Menclova says.
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New Zealand has one of the highest asthma prevalence rates among developed countries. About 130 New Zealanders die each year because of asthma attacks. The direct medical costs to the country of treating asthma have been estimated at $125 million a year and, indirectly, $700 million a year.
Maori and Pacific-Islanders are disproportionately represented in asthma prevalence and severity statistics. For example, Maori are four times more likely to die from asthma than non-Maori We looked at using electricity prices as an instrument for home heating.
The main avenue for home heating to influence asthma prevalence and severity is through the effect it has on house dust mites survival. Dust mites require a relatively cool and humid environment to survive. New Zealand’s cold, humid climate provides an ideal atmosphere for the proliferation of dust mites throughout households.
``As home heating is a relatively large component of household electricity usage in New Zealand it is likely that the quantity of home heating used will be highly elastic with respect to the price of electricity. Since electricity prices are not correlated with income and other household characteristics, the effect they have on asthma rates will solely be through the effect on home heating.
``South Canterbury has consistently the highest asthma admissions and Waitemata and Auckland have the lowest, holding all else constant,’’ Dr Menclova says.
The researchers worked with the Ministry of Economic Development, the Electricity Commission, the New Zealand Health Information Service and the Ministry of Health to reach the conclusion in their project.
ENDS
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