Examining associations between area-level spatial measures of housing with selected health and wellbeing behaviours and outcomes in an urban context. (January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Badland, Hannah; Foster, Sarah; Bentley, Rebecca; Higgs, Carl; Roberts, Rebecca; Pettit, Christopher; Giles-Corti, Billie
• Is Part Of: Health & place. Volume 43(2017:Jan.)
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 24
• Publication Date: 2017-01
• Subjects: Australia -- Geographic information systems -- Liveability -- Policy -- Urban planning; Health -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Health services accessibility -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Political planning -- Periodicals; Social medicine -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; Health Policy -- Periodicals; Health Services Accessibility -- Periodicals; Public Health -- Periodicals; Public Policy -- Periodicals; Sociology, Medical -- Periodicals; Épidémiologie -- Périodiques; Politique sanitaire -- Périodiques; Santé, Services de -- Accessibilité -- Périodiques; Health services accessibility; Health -- Social aspects; Political planning; Public health; Social medicine; Periodicals; 613
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.11.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1353-8292

Abstract

Abstract: Adequate and affordable housing is a major social determinant of health; yet no work has attempted to conceptually map and spatially test area-level measures of housing with selected health and wellbeing outcomes. Sourcing data from 7, 753 adults from Melbourne, Australia, we tested associations between area-level measures of housing density, tenure, and affordability with individual-level measures of neighbourhood safety, community satisfaction, and self-rated health. Compared with the reference groups, the odds of: feeling unsafe was higher for residents living in areas with less affordable housing; community dissatisfaction was ~30% higher in those living in areas with >36% residential properties assigned as rentals, and was significantly higher in the least affordable areas (OR =1.57). Compared with the reference groups, as dwelling density, proportion of rental properties, and housing unaffordability increased, the odds of reporting poorer self-rated health increased; however these associations did not always reach statistical significance. This work highlights the benefits of evidenced-based planning spatial measures to support health and wellbeing. Highlights: We mapped and tested spatial measures of housing with health and wellbeing. Housing density was positively associated with poorer self-rated health. Rental properties were positively associated with community dissatisfaction and poorer self-rated health. Unaffordable housing was positively associated with feeling unsafe, community dissatisfaction, and poorer self-rated health. Spatial measures of housing can be used to inform evidenced-based urban planning.