Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Research

The impact of housing prices on residents’ health: a systematic review

Authors: Ashmita Grewal, Kirk J. Hepburn, Scott A. Lear, Marina Adshade, Kiffer G. Card

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Rising housing prices are becoming a top public health priority and are an emerging concern for policy makers and community leaders. This report reviews and synthesizes evidence examining the association between changes in housing price and health outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review by searching the SCOPUS and PubMed databases for keywords related to housing price and health. Articles were screened by two reviewers for eligibility, which restricted inclusion to original research articles measuring changes in housing prices and health outcomes, published prior to June 31st, 2022.

Results

Among 23 eligible studies, we found that changes in housing prices were heterogeneously associated with physical and mental health outcomes, with multiple mechanisms contributing to both positive and negative health outcomes. Income-level and home-ownership status were identified as key moderators, with lower-income individuals and renters experience negative health consequences from rising housing prices. This may have resulted from increased stress and financial strain among these groups. Meanwhile, the economic benefits of rising housing prices were seen to support health for higher-income individuals and homeowners – potentially due to increased wealth or perception of wealth.

Conclusions

Based on the associations identified in this review, it appears that potential gains to health associated with rising housing prices are inequitably distributed. Housing policies should consider the health inequities born by renters and low-income individuals. Further research should explore mechanisms and interventions to reduce uneven economic impacts on health.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Saunders P. The meaning of ‘home’ in contemporary english culture. Hous Stud. 1989;4:177–92.CrossRef
2.
Shields M. Community belonging and self-perceived health. Health Rep. 2008;19:51–60.PubMed
3.
Smith A. Exploring the interrelationship between the meanings of homeownership and identity management in a liquid society: a case study approach. [Doctoral dissertation, Keele University] Keele Business School. 2017.
4.
Després C. The meaning of home: literature review and directions for future research and theoretical development. Locke Sci Publ Co Inc. 1991;8:96–115.
5.
Goodman LS, Mayer C. Homeownership and the American Dream. J Econ Perspect. 2018;32:31–58.CrossRef
6.
Kawachi I. Social Capital and Community Effects on Population and Individual Health. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1999;896:120–30.PubMedCrossRef
7.
Rolfe S, Garnham L, Godwin J, Anderson I, Seaman P, Donaldson C. Housing as a social determinant of health and wellbeing: developing an empirically-informed realist theoretical framework. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:1138.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
8.
Rohe WM, Van Zandt S, McCarthy G. Home Ownership and Access to Opportunity. Hous Stud. 2002;17:51–61.CrossRef
9.
10.
Waldron R, Redmond D. “We’re just existing, not living!” Mortgage stress and the concealed costs of coping with crisis. Hous Stud. 2017;32:584–612.CrossRef
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Ige-Elegbede J, Pilkington P, Orme J, Williams B, Prestwood E, Black D, et al. Designing healthier neighbourhoods: a systematic review of the impact of the neighbourhood design on health and wellbeing. Cities Health. 2022;6:1004–19.PubMedCrossRef
16.
Pérez E, Braën C, Boyer G, Mercille G, Rehany É, Deslauriers V, et al. Neighbourhood community life and health: A systematic review of reviews. Health Place. 2020;61: 102238.PubMedCrossRef
17.
18.
19.
20.
Chen N, Shen Y, Liang H, Guo R. Housing and Adult Health: Evidence from Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18:916.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
21.
22.
Lee CY, Chen PH, Lin YK. An Exploratory Study of the Association between Housing Price Trends and Antidepressant Use in Taiwan: A 10-Year Population-Based Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18:4839.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
23.
24.
Kim I. Spatial distribution of neighborhood-level housing prices and its association with all-cause mortality in Seoul, Korea (2013–2018): A spatial panel data analysis. SSM - Popul Health. 2021;16: 100963.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
25.
Hamoudi A, Dowd JB. Housing Wealth, Psychological Well-being, and Cognitive Functioning of Older Americans. J Gerontol Ser B. 2014;69:253–62.CrossRef
26.
Yuan W, Gong S, Han Y. How does rising housing price affect the health of middle-aged and elderly people? The complementary mediators of social status seeking and competitive saving motive. PLoS ONE. 2020;15: e0243982.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
27.
Atalay K, Edwards R, Liu BYJ. Effects of house prices on health: New evidence from Australia. Soc Sci Med. 2017;192:36–48.PubMedCrossRef
28.
Bao W, Tao R, Afzal A, Dördüncü H. Real Estate Prices, Inflation, and Health Outcomes: Evidence From Developed Economies. Front Public Health. 2022;10: 851388.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
29.
Daysal NM, Lovenheim M, Siersbæk N, Wasser DN. Home prices, fertility, and early-life health outcomes. J Public Econ. 2021;198:104366.CrossRef
30.
De PK, Segura-Escano R. Drinking during downturn: New evidence from the housing market fluctuations in the United States during the Great Recession. Econ Hum Biol. 2021;43: 101070.PubMedCrossRef
31.
32.
Wei G, Zhu H, Han S, Chen J, Shi L. Impact of house price growth on mental health: Evidence from China. SSM - Popul Health. 2021;13: 100696.PubMedCrossRef
33.
Zhang C, Zhang F. Effects of housing wealth on subjective well-being in urban China. J Hous Built Environ. 2019;34:965–85.CrossRef
34.
Feng Y, Nie C. The effect of housing price on health: new evidence from China. Appl Econ Lett. 2022;29:1439–46.CrossRef
35.
Chun H. Do housing price changes affect mental health in South Korea? Ethiop J Health Dev. 2020;34:48–59.
36.
Xu Y, Wang F. The health consequence of rising housing prices in China. J Econ Behav Organ. 2022;200:114–37.CrossRef
37.
Hamoudi A, Dowd JB. Physical health effects of the housing boom: quasi-experimental evidence from the health and retirement study. Am J Public Health. 2013;103:1039–45.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
38.
Sung J, Qiu Q. The Impact of Housing Prices on Health in the United States Before, During, and After the Great Recession. South Econ J. 2020;86:910–40.CrossRef
39.
40.
Ratcliffe A. Wealth Effects, Local Area Attributes, and Economic Prospects: On the Relationship between House Prices and Mental Wellbeing. Rev Income Wealth. 2015;61:75–92.CrossRef
41.
42.
43.
44.
Arcaya MC, Nidam Y, Binet A, Gibson R, Gavin V. Rising home values and Covid-19 case rates in Massachusetts. Soc Sci Med. 1982;2020(265): 113290.
45.
Wang H-Q, Liang L-Q. How Do Housing Prices Affect Residents’ Health? New Evidence From China. Front Public Health. 2022;9:1–11.CrossRef
46.
Shlay AB. Low-income Homeownership: American Dream or Delusion? Urban Stud. 2006;43:511–31.CrossRef
47.
Boehm TP, Schlottmann AM. The dynamics of race, income, and homeownership. J Urban Econ. 2004;55:113–30.CrossRef
48.
Fazel S, Khosla V, Doll H, Geddes J. The Prevalence of Mental Disorders among the Homeless in Western Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis. PLOS Med. 2008;5: e225.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
49.
McConnell ED. Who has Housing Affordability Problems? Disparities in Housing Cost Burden by Race, Nativity, and Legal Status in Los Angeles. Race Soc Probl. 2013;5:173–90.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
50.
Ding Y, Chin L, Lu M, Deng P. Do high housing prices crowd out young professionals?—Micro-evidence from China. Econ Res-Ekon Istraživanja. 2022;36(2):1–19.
51.
52.
Fernald LC, Hamad R, Karlan D, Ozer EJ, Zinman J. Small individual loans and mental health: a randomized controlled trial among South African adults. BMC Public Health. 2008;8:409.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
53.
Silverstein M, Cong Z, Li S. Intergenerational Transfers and Living Arrangements of Older People in Rural China: Consequences for Psychological Well-Being. J Gerontol Ser B. 2006;61:S256–66.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
The impact of housing prices on residents’ health: a systematic review
Authors
Ashmita Grewal
Kirk J. Hepburn
Scott A. Lear
Marina Adshade
Kiffer G. Card
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18360-w

Other articles of this Issue 1/2024

BMC Public Health 1/2024 Go to the issue

Research

Epidemiological characteristics of neuroendocrine neoplasms in Beijing: a population-based retrospective study

Research

Incidence and predictors of loss to follow-up among Ethiopian children on antiretroviral therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Publisher Correction

Correction to: Impact of COVID-19 on mental health of health care workers in Spain: a mix-methods study

Research

Community screening for dementia among older adults in China: a machine learning-based strategy

Research

Factors affecting safe pesticide-use behaviors among farm plant agriculturists in northeastern Thailand

Research

The sex difference in self-rated health among older Turkish and Moroccan migrants in the Netherlands: an exploratory study of contributing determinants