Is there a link between central air conditioning and chronic disease?
A new study hints at one Think air conditioning, and you’re likely to connect this modern amenity with the comfort it provides on scorching summer days. “The Relationship of Housing and Population Health: A 30-Year Retrospective Analysis,” in the April 2009 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, makes a different connection, suggesting a link between central air conditioning and chronic disease. The study connects the dots between the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Census Bureau’sAmerican Housing Survey (AHS). (Note: Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., on June 9 released “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes.” Download a PDF of the call to action: Surgeon General Call to Action Healthy Homes 6-9-09.) One key housing trend identified in the AHS is the increase in central air conditioning; in 2002, nearly 60 percent of U.S. households had a central-air-conditioning system, up from approximately 15 percent
