The Housing-based Hazard Index is an instrument used to identify critical hazards within homes and can be applied to homes of all individuals. It consists of 71 items that evaluates hazards across eight dimensions related to temperature control, lighting, moisture and mold, electrical, ventilation, pests, pets, fire and structural risks. The items are score from zero to five, where zerio corresponds to absence of hazards, one for low impact and five for high impact.
Health status and risk factors General use
Age group Children, Adults, Older Adults
Assessor Individuals
Sections / items 71 items
Self-administered Yes
Multi-component No
Indicators Temperature; lighting; moisture; mold; electrical safety; ventilation; pests; pets; fire safety; physical structure
Authors Nriagu, J., Smith, P., Socier, D. Martin, J.
Publication date 2011, 2012
Nriagu, J., Smith, P., & Socier, D. (2011). A rating scale for housing-based health hazards. The Science of the Total Environment, 409(24), 5423-5431. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.08.018