The Impacts of Housing Characteristics and Built-Environment Features on Mental Health

Abstract

In this study, we examined the relationships between housing characteristics, neighborhood built-environment features, and people’s mental health in Hong Kong, an Asian city well known for its high-density and high-rise housing. The potential mediating effects of people’s perceived living environment were also considered in the analysis. We collected data from 221 participants from two communities in Hong Kong, i.e., Sham Shui Po (SSP) and Tin Shui Wai (TSW), using a stratified random sampling approach. Big datasets were also used to derive relevant built-environment features at the street block level. We used structural equation modeling to explore the complex relationships among housing characteristics, built-environment features, and mental health. The results indicate that the associations between built-environment quality and people’s mental health are weak. For communities with relatively poor housing conditions (i.e., SSP in this study), the impact of housing characteristics on mental health may be more direct; for communities with relatively good housing conditions (i.e., TSW in this study), the effect of housing characteristics on mental health may be indirect. Our findings shed light on the importance of considering different contexts in developing policies related to housing and built environment and mental health.

Grand designs for design policy: Associations between apartment policy standards, perceptions of good design and mental wellbeing

“…Consistent with other studies ( Amerio et al, 2020 ; Kan et al, 2022 ; Peters & Halleran, 2021 ; Sarkar et al, 2021 ), perceptions of indoor space and layout and communal area quality were also independently associated with wellbeing, and together highlight the importance of both private and semi-private spaces. Internal private space typically impacts wellbeing via the mechanism of crowding ( Evans et al, 1996 ; Guite et al, 2006 ), but quality outdoor communal areas (i.e., well-maintained areas with greenery and sufficient space and facilities to enable flexible use) may help to minimise crowding by providing respite from the indoor environment, exposure to nature, and the opportunity to interact with neighbours ( Bandara et al, 2020 ) Alarmingly, internal apartment space has been reducing – recent data reveals the average floor area of Australian apartments shrunk by almost 15% over the past 15 years (i.e., 2005–2020), with Sydney decreases worse than other cities at 19% ( ABS, 2020 ).…”

“…The health ambitions of these policies are supported by a body of evidence that largely confirms that, when higher density housing realises certain design objectives, it is associated with better health among residents ( Foster et al, 2020 ). Key design objectives addressed in apartment design policy and associated with health outcomes include natural ventilation ( Wargocki et al, 2002 ; Wong & Huang, 2004 ), thermal comfort ( Howden-Chapman et al, 2007 ; Lloyd et al, 2008 ), sunlight exposure ( Brown & Jacobs, 2011 ; Lai et al, 2013 ; Nagare et al, 2021 ), acoustic privacy ( Andargie et al, 2021 ; Babisch et al, 2014 ; Jakovljevic et al, 2009 ; Wu et al, 2019 ), apartment outlook ( Amerio et al, 2020 ; Kaplan, 2001 ; Wells, 2000 ) and space ( Amerio et al, 2020 ; Evans et al, 1996 ; Kan et al, 2022 ; Oswald et al, 2011 ; Sarkar et al, 2021 ), including communal space ( Kim & Ohara, 2010 ; Kimura et al, 2008 ). A wide variety of outcomes have been examined to date spanning physical and mental health outcomes (e.g., blood pressure, respiratory tract infections, asthma, sick building syndrome symptoms, hypertension, depression, loneliness, sleep quality) ( Foster et al, 2020 ).…”

“…While many of the overarching design policy themes have been examined for their impact on health, one notable gap in the evidence base are studies measuring policy-specific exposures, where the impact of the requirements that underpinned the design of the buildings are assessed ( Foster et al, 2019 ). For example, numerous studies identify associations between apartment size and mental health ( Evans et al, 1996 ; Kan et al, 2022 ; Oswald et al, 2011 ; Sarkar et al, 2021 ) yet until recently ( Amerio et al, 2020 ), few have sought to identify a space threshold that could inform policy standards or test the impact of existing space requirements on health and wellbeing. This highlights the generic nature of much of the evidence and its disconnection from the policy environment, practices and legislation ( Allender et al, 2009 ; Durand et al, 2011 ).…”

Associations between COVID-19 risk, multiple environmental exposures, and housing conditions: A study using individual-level GPS-based real-time sensing data

“…Besides, Sham Shui Po has a higher level of COVID-19 transmission risk than Tin Shui Wai due to its intense spatial interactions with other areas ( Huang & Kwan, 2022b ). A detailed introduction of the two neighborhoods can be found elsewhere ( Kan et al, 2022 ; Huang & Kwan, 2022b ).…”

Public Space Usage and Well-Being: Participatory Action Research With Vulnerable Groups in Hyper-Dense Environments

“…The district's urban form is characterised by two main patterns: a dense urban street grid, and large urban blocks with public and private housing estates (Figure 1). Private permanent housing, mostly tenement buildings, is the dominant housing type in the district (59.0%), followed by public rental housing (35%; Kan et al, 2022). SSP has the second-highest concentration of subdivided units, mostly in dilapidated tenement buildings, with a median area of 107.6 sq.…”