Poor housing conditions are associated with a wide range of health conditions, including
respiratory infections, asthma, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health
. Addressing housing issues offers public health practitioners an opportunity to address an important social determinant of health.
Can your living situation impact your mental health?
Housing and mental health are closely linked
. People with mental health conditions are more likely to live in poor housing and having housing problems can make your mental health worse. Good quality, affordable and safe housing is a vital part of good mental health.
How does poor living conditions affect the community?
Additionally, inadequate or unsanitary living conditions can
contribute to the spread of disease, which adds to health care costs, prevents individuals from working and threatens the well-being of community members
. The health ramifications of poor living conditions on individuals extend to entire communities as well.
How does the size of home affect health and wellbeing?
However, housing also has a huge influence on our mental health and wellbeing –
children living in crowded homes are more likely be stressed, anxious and depressed, have poorer physical health, and attain less well at school
.
Can a house affect your health?
Homes’ structural and safety features can increase risk for injuries, elevate blood lead levels, and exacerbate other conditions
. Poor indoor air quality contributes to cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and other illnesses.
How poverty affects health and wellbeing?
Poverty creates ill- health because it forces people to live in environments that make them sick, without decent shelter, clean water or adequate sanitation
. Poverty creates hunger, which in turn leaves people vulnerable to disease.
How does poor housing and homelessness affect health?
Homeless people experience
poorer physical and mental health than the general population
. Homeless children have higher rates of health problems and their development can be damaged. Homeless people have a much higher risk of death from a range of causes than the general population.
What is the relationship between housing and health?
People with unmet housing needs tend to be socio-economically disadvantaged, and experience higher death rates, poor health, and are more likely to have serious chronic illnesses . Evidence suggests
strong linkages between poor housing and infrastructure, and subsequent impact on health
.
What environmental factors affect mental health?
- Sleep deprivation.
- Smoking.
- Substance abuse.
- Pollution.
- Exposure to toxins during childhood.
- Extreme weather conditions (such as excessive rain or snow)
- Hazardous conditions at work.
Poor physical health
can result in an unhealthy body composition, which in turn, may lower your self-esteem
. A low self-esteem makes it more difficult to create healthy social bonds. Poor physical health may also make it more difficult to participate in many social activities.
How does the home environment affect you?
A peaceful and visually appealing home setting can create a greater sense of wellbeing than a cluttered, chaotic home
. Even the color of your walls and furnishings can affect your mental health. Studies have found that color can affect a person’s mood, behavior, and even cognitive function.
What is health and ill health?
Thus, we have a simple definition of
‘health’ as the capacity to make this adaptation, while ‘ill-health’ can be defined as failure to adapt to environmental forces and function normally in society
. This approach also enables measurement of health and disease by estimating day-to-day function.
How does lack of basic services affect health?
“Inadequate access to basic public services
greatly increases the amount of time poor households spend on unpaid care tasks
such as fetching water, collecting wood, and caring for the sick in the absence of good medical care near to their homes.
How does poor health affect the economy?
Poor health can
make households property exhausted, indebted, and reduce their essential consumption
[2] because people with poor health are not only having productivity and income losses, but also out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses for needed healthcare services.
Why is health and wellbeing important for individuals?
Health and wellbeing are
essential for quality of life and are fundamental preconditions for learning and development
. Active participation and engagement in learning, a positive experience of education or training and an informed awareness of health are crucial to long term health and wellbeing.
Why is housing so important to health?
Housing is a social determinant of health.
A safe house away from potential hazards can promote well-being
. However, living in unsafe or unsuitable housing conditions may contribute to health inequities and be a factor in health problems, such as chronic diseases.
How does income affect health?
Socioeconomic status and income are determinants of health,
linked to life expectancy, quality of life, and disease risk
, with many diseases more prevalent in people from low socioeconomic status. Individuals from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds are also more susceptible to the effects of unhealthy lifestyles.
Can having a dirty house affect your health?
Mental Health
Researchers have found that
a cluttered home contributes to stress, anxiety, and poor concentration
. When a person’s home is dirty, they may begin to feel overwhelmed, out of control, and anxious. Having a clean, accessible home can also make daily routines much easier.
How poverty affects health and nutrition?
Poverty leads to financial constraints that in turn lead to the consumption of cheap, high-energy staple foods, primarily carbohydrates, and fats rather than nutritionally dense food
. Through the consumption of carbohydrates and fats, energy levels spike; but nutritional quality becomes compromised.
What is fair health condition?
Definition: Fair or Poor Health Status is defined as
respondents who report having fair or poor health from possible response choices of “excellent”, “very good”, “good”, “fair”, or “poor”
.
How does homelessness affect health and wellbeing?
For example,
poor physical or mental health can reduce a person’s ability to find employment or earn an adequate income
. Alternatively, some health problems are a consequence of homelessness, including depression, poor nutrition, poor dental health, substance abuse and mental health problems.
How does homelessness affect wellbeing?
“Being homeless puts an individual at increased risk of many health problems including psychiatric illness, substance use, chronic disease, musculoskeletal disorders, skin and foot problems, poor oral health, and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis C and HIV infection.
How does being homeless affect health?
Homelessness is closely connected to
declines in physical and mental health
; homeless persons experience high rates of health problems such as HIV infection, alcohol and drug abuse, mental illness, tuberculosis, and other conditions.
