The mediation effect of indoor air quality on health: A comparison of homeowners and renters.

This research aims to explore whether there is a health disparity between homeowners and renters affected by the indoor air quality of their dwellings. By proxying the presence of mold and smoke as conjoint facilitators of poor indoor air quality, we design a mediation model that previously has not been explored empirically. The structural path model in this study shows that there is indeed a disparity in health between homeowners and renters by demography, socioeconomic status, and dwelling condition. Our study argues that renters whose living conditions are generally worse off than homeowners are also unequal in their health status due to exacerbating effects from poor indoor air quality, which is endogenous to the state of the renter. The originality of this study is that it is the first study that empirically tests the mediation effect of poor indoor air quality of homeowners and renters using a structural equation path model.

The Impact of U.S. Housing Type and Residential Living Situations on Mental Health during COVID-19.

Residential environments could be associated with the mental health of residents, in general, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, limited studies have investigated the relationship between these two. This study used data from the Household Pulse Survey, collected between 23 April 2020 and 23 November 2020 to explore the relationship between mental health status as perceived by the residents and housing tenure (own or rent), building type, and the number of household members, while accounting for sociodemographic characteristics, general health-related variables, and week-specific unobserved heterogeneities. The findings suggest that renters had higher odds of experiencing mental health issues than homeowners. Residents in multifamily housing units had higher odds of experiencing mental health problems than single-family units. Further, more people in the household were associated with lower odds of experiencing mental health episodes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Variation in Older Adult Characteristics by Residence Type and Use of Home- and Community-Based Services.

Background: The majority of older adults prefer to remain in their homes, or to "age-in-place." To accomplish this goal, many older adults will rely upon home- and community-based services (HCBS) for support. However, the availability and accessibility of HCBS may differ based on whether the older adult lives in the community or in a senior housing apartment facility. Methods: This paper reports findings from the Pathways to Life Quality study of residential change and stability among seniors in upstate New York. Data were analyzed from 663 older adults living in one of three housing types: service-rich facilities, service-poor facilities, and community-dwelling in single-family homes. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine factors associated with residence type. A linear regression model was fitted to examine factors associated with HCBS utilization. Results: When compared to community-dwelling older adults, those residing in service-rich and service-poor facilities were more likely to be older, report more activity limitations, and provide less instrumental assistance to others. Those in service-poor facilities were more likely to have poorer mental health and lower perceived purpose in life. The three leading HCBS utilized were senior centers (20%), homemaker services (19%), and transportation services (18%). More HCBS utilization was associated with participants who resided in service-poor housing, were older, were female, and had more activity limitations. More HCBS utilization was also associated with those who received instrumental support, had higher perceived purpose in life, and poorer mental health. Conclusions: Findings suggest that older adults' residential environment is associated with their health status and HCBS utilization. Building upon the Person-Environment Fit theories, dedicated efforts are needed to introduce and expand upon existing HCBS available to facility residents to address physical and mental health needs as well as facilitate aging-in-place.