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Observational Study
. 2022 Apr;115(4):138-144.
doi: 10.1177/01410768211073923. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

Association between household size and COVID-19: A UK Biobank observational study

Clare L Gillies  1   2   3 , Alex V Rowlands  2   4 , Cameron Razieh  1   2   4 , Vahé Nafilyan  5 , Yogini Chudasama  1   2   3 , Nazrul Islam  6 , Francesco Zaccardi  1   2   3 , Daniel Ayoubkhani  5 , Claire Lawson  1 , Melanie J Davies  2   4 , Tom Yates  2   4 , Kamlesh Khunti  1   2   3   4
Affiliations
Observational Study

Association between household size and COVID-19: A UK Biobank observational study

Clare L Gillies et al. J R Soc Med. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between household size and risk of non-severe or severe COVID-19.

Design: A longitudinal observational study.

Setting: This study utilised UK Biobank linked to national SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test data.

Participants: 401,910 individuals with available data on household size in UK Biobank.

Main outcome measures: Household size was categorised as single occupancy, two-person households and households of three or more. Severe COVID-19 was defined as a positive SARS-CoV-2 test on hospital admission or death with COVID-19 recorded as the underlying cause; and non-severe COVID-19 as a positive test from a community setting. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess associations, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: Of 401,910 individuals, 3612 (1%) were identified as having suffered from a severe COVID-19 infection and 11,264 (2.8%) from a non-severe infection, between 16 March 2020 and 16 March 2021. Overall, the odds of severe COVID-19 was significantly higher among individuals living alone (adjusted odds ratio: 1.24 [95% confidence interval: 1.14 to 1.36], or living in a household of three or more individuals (adjusted odds ratio: 1.28 [1.17 to 1.39], when compared to individuals living in a household of two. For non-severe COVID-19 infection, individuals living in a single-occupancy household had lower odds compared to those living in a household of two (adjusted odds ratio: 0.88 [0.82 to 0.93].

Conclusions: Odds of severe or non-severe COVID-19 infection were associated with household size. Increasing understanding of why certain households are more at risk is important for limiting spread of the infection.

Keywords: Infectious diseases; epidemiologic studies; housing and health; public health; social conditions and disease.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Association between household size and odds of severe COVID-19, stratified by sex and ethnicity.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Association between household size and odds of non-severe COVID-19, stratified by sex and ethnicity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Chudasama YV, Gillies CL, Appiah K, et al. Multimorbidity and SARS-CoV-2 infection in UK Biobank. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2020; 14: 775–776. - PMC - PubMed
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