Cited by 74Urban and Rural Development ChallengesSleep and related disordersHomelessness and Social Issues

Sleep and Quality of Life in Urban Poverty: The Effect of a Slum Housing Upgrading Program

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Simonelli, Guido, Leanza, Yvan, Boilard, Alexandra, Hyland, Martín, Augustinavicius, Jura L., Cardinali, Daniel P., Vallières, Annie, Pérez-Chada, Daniel +1 more·2013·Sleep

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a housing transition on sleep quality and quality of life in slum dwellers, participating in a slum housing upgrading program. DESIGN: Observational before-and-after study with a convergent-parallel mixed method design. SETTING: Five slums located in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 150 slum dwellers benefited by a housing program of the nonprofit organization TECHO (spanish word for "roof"). INTERVENTIONS: Participants moved from their very low-quality house to a basic prefabricated 18 m(2) modular house provided by TECHO. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life brief scale (WHOQOL-BREF) were administered before and after housing upgrading. Data about housing conditions, income, education, sleeping conditions, and cardiovascular risk were also collected. Semistructured interviews were used to expand and nuance quantitative data obtained from a poorly educated sample. Results showed that sleep quality significantly increased after the housing program (z = -6.57, P < 0.001). Overall quality of life (z = -6.85, P < 0.001), physical health domain (z = -4.35, P < 0.001), psychological well-being domain (z = -3.72, P < 0.001) and environmental domain (z = -7.10, P < 0.001) of WHOQOL-BREF were also improved. Interviews demonstrated the importance of serenity for improving quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: A minimal improvement in the quality of basic housing can significantly increase sleep quality and quality of life among slum dwellers. Understanding sleep and daily life conditions in informal urban settlements could help to define what kind of low-cost intervention may improve sleep quality, quality of life, and reduce existent sleep disparity.

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Authors
Simonelli, G., Leanza, Y., Boilard, A., Hyland, M., Augustinavicius, J. L., Cardinali, D. P., Vallières, A., Pérez-Chada, D., & Vigo, D. E.
Affiliations
  • Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (AR)
  • Université Laval (CA)
  • University of Toronto (CA)
  • Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR)
  • Hospital Universitario Austral (AR)
Corresponding author
Vigo, Daniel E.
Venue
Sleep
Published
2013-11-01
Volume
36
Issue
11
Pages
1669-1676
ISSN
  • 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-9109
OpenAlex
W1965177472
Cited by
74
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6
FWCI
28.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • SLEEP (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Corpus Université Laval (Université Laval) (submittedVersion)
  • Conicet (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Urban and Rural Development Challenges
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Homelessness and Social Issues
Keywords
sleep quality, quality of life, slum housing, housing upgrading, urban poverty, informal settlements, TECHO, prefabricated housing, WHOQOL-BREF, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, psychological well-being, Buenos Aires
MeSH terms
Adult, Argentina, Housing, Humans, Male, Poverty Areas, Public Housing, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Socioeconomic Factors, Urban Population, Body Mass Index

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