Association between housing tenure and self-rated health in Japan: Findings from a nationwide cross-sectional survey

Abstract

BackgroundMany studies have reported that housing tenure (HT) is associated with health, but little is known about its association in Japan. We investigated the cross-sectional association between HT and self-rated health (SRH) among Japanese adults, taking demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status (SES) into consideration.MethodsWe used data from a nationally representative survey conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (28,641 men and 31,143 women aged ≥20 years). HT was divided into five categories: owner-occupied, privately rented, provided housing, publically subsidized, and rented rooms. SRH was evaluated using a single-item inventory and dichotomized into poor (very poor/poor) and good (very good/good/fair). We calculated adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for poor SRH with logistic regression models. Covariates included demographic factors (i.e., age, gender, marital status, family size, smoking status, and chronic medical conditions) and SES factors (i.e., education, equivalent household expenditures, and occupation).ResultsAmong analyzed participants, 75.9% were owner-occupiers and 14.6% reported poor SRH. After adjustment for all covariates, compared with owner-occupiers, private renters (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.26–1.47), publically subsidized renters (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.19–1.48), and residents in rented rooms (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.22–1.62) were more likely to report poor SRH. Stratified analyses by SES factors showed that the association between HT and poor SRH was stronger in the socially disadvantaged than in the higher socioeconomic group.ConclusionsOur results show a significant association between HT and SRH, independent of socio-demographic factors. HT may deserve greater attention as an indicator of socioeconomic position in Japan.

Do Home and Community Environments Explain Self-Rated Health Among Older Canadians? Evidence From the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey

“…Regarding correlates of SRH by gender and living arrangement groups, findings show similarities and differences in home and community environmental factors associated with SRH. In terms of home environmental factors, living in low-income housing as compared to private housing was a common risk factor of lower SRH across all groups, which is consistent with previous research (Tomioka et al, 2019). Our data suggest that living in low-income housing may be a source of environmental stress associated with low-income or substandard housing conditions that affect the health of older residents.…”

“…Research has largely supported that residents, including older adults, who reported satisfaction with housing quality were more likely to report higher levels of SRH than those who expressed dissatisfaction (Badri et al, 2021;Kno ¨chelmann et al, 2020). Based on the person-in-environment perspective, studies have documented that individuals in low-income housing, including older tenants, are more likely to report lower levels of SRH than those in private housing (Tomioka et al, 2019). Researchers have argued that lowincome housing may be associated with limited physical space, substandard housing conditions, and limited access to recreational facilities.…”

The Effect of Built Environment on Physical Health and Mental Health of Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in China

“…Researchers from Korea, Britain, Japan, and New Zealand have all identified a statistically significant relationship between housing tenure and health measures. In contrast with owner-occupiers, renters (either private renters or publicly subsidized renters) were more likely to report poor self-rated health and experience symptoms of depression [ 8 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. For those tenants aged between 50–85 years, lower levels of quality of life and higher levels of depression symptoms were found to manifest over time [ 8 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

“…The findings of such research suggest that the built environment influences health through different pathways [ 6 , 7 ]. Specifically, housing conditions such as affordability [ 8 , 9 ], quality [ 10 , 11 , 12 ], and security [ 8 , 13 , 14 ] have been found to impact self-rated health status [ 10 ] and increase the risk of depression [ 15 ] and other diseases [ 9 , 16 ]. In addition, neighborhood characteristics including physical characteristics (e.g., pollution), social–cultural factors (e.g., social cohesion), and community resource access (e.g., recreational facilities) [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ] have each been observed to impact residents’ physical [ 18 , 21 ] and mental health [ 22 ].…”

Living in public rental housing is healthier than private rental housing a 9-year cohort study from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

“…A report showed that private rental houses have poorer quality than public housing and owner-occupied homes in New Zealand, thus having the possibility of different effects on health and well-being 20 , 21 . A cross-sectional study by Tomioka et al 22 on Japanese adults revealed that private renters had poorer self-rated health than other tenure. According to a Japanese White Paper in 2021 of households headed by a married couple with a person aged ≥ 65 years, 87.4% of Japanese older adults were homeowners, 5.5% lived in public rented houses, and 6.9% lived in private rented houses 23 .…”