IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i12p1710-d1550184.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cognitive Health Costs of Poor Housing for Women: Exploring Executive Function and Housing Stress in Urban Slums in India

Author

Listed:
  • Uchita Vaid

    (Design Studies Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA)

Abstract

An increasing body of literature has investigated the implications of housing quality on health, confirming the negative consequences of poor housing quality on physical and mental health. Despite this increased focus on the salutogenic impacts of housing, the relationship between housing quality and cognitive health remains understudied. This study examined how the housing quality in urban informal settlements, where living conditions are often substandard, affects women’s cognitive functioning, with a specific focus on executive function (EF) skills. EF is a decision-making system that enables us to make decisions using working memory and attentional control. This study addressed two key questions: (1) Is housing quality associated with EF skills? (2) Does perceived housing stress experienced by women mediate the housing–EF relationship? A standardized observer-based tool assessed housing quality, psychometric instruments measured EF skills, and a 12-item questionnaire evaluated perceived housing stress. Results indicated that better housing quality is positively associated with higher EF skills, with housing stress acting as a mediating factor in this relationship. These findings have important implications for both health and housing policies. Investments in improving housing conditions can yield cognitive health benefits for women, and addressing stress-inducing housing factors could further enhance cognitive outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Uchita Vaid, 2024. "Cognitive Health Costs of Poor Housing for Women: Exploring Executive Function and Housing Stress in Urban Slums in India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(12), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:12:p:1710-:d:1550184
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/12/1710/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/12/1710/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lilah M. Besser & Lun-Ching Chang & Jana A. Hirsch & Daniel A. Rodriguez & John Renne & Stephen R. Rapp & Annette L. Fitzpatrick & Susan R. Heckbert & Joel D. Kaufman & Timothy M. Hughes, 2021. "Longitudinal Associations between the Neighborhood Built Environment and Cognition in US Older Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-12, July.
    2. Lucía Sánchez-Salvador & Ángeles Prados-Pardo & Elena Martín-González & Manuela Olmedo-Córdoba & Santiago Mora & Margarita Moreno, 2021. "The Role of Social Stress in the Development of Inhibitory Control Deficit: A Systematic Review in Preclinical Models," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-20, May.
    3. Elisabetta Ricciardi & Giuseppina Spano & Antonella Lopez & Luigi Tinella & Carmine Clemente & Giuseppe Elia & Payam Dadvand & Giovanni Sanesi & Andrea Bosco & Alessandro Oronzo Caffò, 2022. "Long-Term Exposure to Greenspace and Cognitive Function during the Lifespan: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Marcia P. Jimenez & Nicole V. DeVille & Elise G. Elliott & Jessica E. Schiff & Grete E. Wilt & Jaime E. Hart & Peter James, 2021. "Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Emma Baker & Andrew Beer & Laurence Lester & David Pevalin & Christine Whitehead & Rebecca Bentley, 2017. "Is Housing a Health Insult?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Baker, Emma & Beer, Andrew & Lester, Laurence & Pevalin, David & Whitehead, Christine M E & Bentley, Rebecca, 2017. "Is housing a health insult?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 79372, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Nipuni Nilakshini Wimalasena & Alice Chang-Richards & Kevin I-Kai Wang & Kim N. Dirks, 2021. "Housing Risk Factors Associated with Respiratory Disease: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-24, March.
    8. Amy Weimann & Tolu Oni, 2019. "A Systematised Review of the Health Impact of Urban Informal Settlements and Implications for Upgrading Interventions in South Africa, a Rapidly Urbanising Middle-Income Country," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-17, September.
    9. Charlotte Clark & Katarina Paunovic, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Cognition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-23, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lijian Xie & Suhong Zhou & Lin Zhang, 2021. "Associations between Objective and Subjective Housing Status with Individual Mental Health in Guangzhou, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-14, January.
    2. Jie Tang & Nanqian Chen & Hailun Liang & Xu Gao, 2022. "The Effect of Built Environment on Physical Health and Mental Health of Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Anna Ziersch & Moira Walsh & Clemence Due & Emily Duivesteyn, 2017. "Exploring the Relationship between Housing and Health for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in South Australia: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, September.
    4. Walter Dachaga & Walter Timo de Vries, 2022. "Integrating Urban Land Tenure Security in Health Determinants: The Design of Indicators for Measuring Land Tenure Security and Health Relationships in Developing Country Contexts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-28, March.
    5. Roderick J. Lawrence, 2017. "Constancy and Change: Key Issues in Housing and Health Research, 1987–2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-7, July.
    6. Elisabetta Ricciardi & Giuseppina Spano & Luigi Tinella & Antonella Lopez & Carmine Clemente & Andrea Bosco & Alessandro Oronzo Caffò, 2023. "Perceived Social Support Mediates the Relationship between Use of Greenspace and Geriatric Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of South-Italian Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-11, April.
    7. Zan Yang & Yuqi Fu, 2019. "Physical Attributes of Housing and Elderly Health: A New Dynamic Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Nanqian Chen & Yanpei Shen & Hailun Liang & Rui Guo, 2021. "Housing and Adult Health: Evidence from Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-13, January.
    9. Courtney J. Wright & Jacinta Colley & Kate Knudsen & Elizabeth Kendall, 2019. "Housing for People with an Acquired Brain or Spinal Injury: Mapping the Australian Funding Landscape," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-51, August.
    10. Christopher B Goodman & Megan E Hatch, 2023. "State preemption and affordable housing policy," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(6), pages 1048-1065, May.
    11. Melanie Schubert & Janice Hegewald & Alice Freiberg & Karla Romero Starke & Franziska Augustin & Steffi G. Riedel-Heller & Hajo Zeeb & Andreas Seidler, 2019. "Behavioral and Emotional Disorders and Transportation Noise among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-16, September.
    12. Nabetse Baruc Blas-Miranda & Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes & Juan Antonio Miranda-Zuñiga & Marcia P. Jimenez, 2022. "Green Space Exposure and Obesity in the Mexican Adult Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-13, November.
    13. Shawhan, Daniel L. & Picciano, Paul D., 2019. "Costs and benefits of saving unprofitable generators: A simulation case study for US coal and nuclear power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 383-400.
    14. Sonika Bhatnagar & John Lovelace & Ray Prushnok & Justin Kanter & Joan Eichner & Dan LaVallee & James Schuster, 2023. "A Novel Framework to Address the Complexities of Housing Insecurity and Its Associated Health Outcomes and Inequities: “Give, Partner, Invest”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(14), pages 1-11, July.
    15. Victoria Oyekunle & Andrew Tomita & Andrew Gibbs, 2023. "Cluster randomized controlled trial of Stepping Stones and Creating Futures to reduce mental health challenges among young men in informal settlements in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(7), pages 1712-1722, November.
    16. Shirelle H. Hallum & Marilyn E. Wende & Farnaz Hesam Shariati & Kelsey M. Thomas & Anna L. Chupak & Eleanor Witherspoon & Andrew T. Kaczynski, 2024. "Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-19, February.
    17. Zhimeng Wang & Yue Li & Jingchen An & Wenyi Dong & Hongqidi Li & Huirui Ma & Junhui Wang & Jianping Wu & Ting Jiang & Guangxin Wang, 2022. "Effects of Restorative Environment and Presence on Anxiety and Depression Based on Interactive Virtual Reality Scenarios," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-27, June.
    18. Miek C. Jong & Trine Stub & Eric Mulder & Mats Jong, 2022. "The Development and Acceptability of a Wilderness Programme to Support the Health and Well-Being of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: The WAYA Programme," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-21, September.
    19. Kamila Czepczor-Bernat & Justyna Modrzejewska & Adriana Modrzejewska & Viren Swami, 2022. "The Impact of a Woodland Walk on Body Image: A Field Experiment and an Assessment of Dispositional and Environmental Determinants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, November.
    20. Florian Lecaër & Olivier Roques, 2024. "La sensation de relaxation au cours des activités subaquatiques : un moyen pour atténuer le mécanisme du stress au travail ?," Post-Print hal-04597072, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:12:p:1710-:d:1550184. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.