Logement et santé : Développement d’un cadre conceptuel
This resource is available in French only.
The influence of housing on a population’s health is a complex issue
Housing is a determinant of health that affects the life course. According to conceptual frameworks published to date on housing and health, the main characteristics of housing are: quality and safety, affordability, access, residential stability and location. Actions to improve housing conditions require the involvement of several actors from different sectors. Preventive actions must range from personal initiatives to state interventions. The relationship between housing conditions and social inequities in health must be taken into consideration. Scientific literature offers few conceptual representations of the links between health and housing.
Links between housing and health according to the INSPQ conceptual framework
- Housing characteristics generate exposures and health risks. These exposures and risks have effects on the health of individuals and communities. They are influenced by the overall context and household characteristics.
- Health exposures and risks are economic, chemical, physical, biological, or social factors that have positive or negative effects on health in the short or long term. Health exposures and risks can coexist simultaneously and have cumulative effects.
- The degree of exposure to these factors, and to the associated health risks, is directly related to housing characteristics.
- The overall context encompasses societal factors that can influence the planning, financing, and management of housing supply.
Implications for public health action
The INSPQ's conceptual framework provides a shared understanding of the various potential links between housing and health. This could help structure potential research on housing from a public health perspective. It highlights the need for intersectoral collaboration in the development of preventive strategies, illustrating the diversity of actors who can influence housing characteristics and their effects on health.
Use this resource to
- Facilitate understanding of the links between housing and health
- Guide public health practices related to housing
Alignment with NCCDH work
The NCCDH has published a number of resources to support housing as a public health focus, including curated lists of resources to guide public health action in this area.
Housing as a focus for public health action on equity: A curated list
Public health action to address tuberculosis in homeless shelter settings: A curated list
NCCDH has an ongoing collaboration with RentSafe which resulted in resources that summarize housing as a public health issue in Canada and highlight participatory practice and direct engagement of people with grounded expertise to offer practical and tangible areas of action for public health at all levels.
Towards healthy homes for all: What the RentSafe findings mean for public health in Canada
Other relevant learnings come from COVID-19 efforts to support underhoused populations and those experiencing homelessness or precarious housing.
See more resources on housing as a determinant of health.
Reference
O’Neil,S.,Labesse,M.E.,Morency,P. (2024). Logement et santé : développement d'un cadre conceptuel. (Housing and Health: Development of a Conceptual Framework). Institut national de santé publique du Québec.
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