IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i3p391-d1607739.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perception of the Residential Living Environment: The Relationship Between Objective and Subjective Indicators of the Residential Living Environment and Health

Author

Listed:
  • Joachim Gotink

    (Department of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

  • Sylvie Gadeyne

    (Department of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

Abstract

Multiple studies have found an association between ambient air quality, noise pollution, green spaces and health. The underlying mechanisms of this association remain partly unknown. In this study, we focus on subjective perception as a potential underlying factor. We assess (I) the association between objective and subjective indicators of the living environment and all-cause mortality, as well as (II) the potential modification of the relationship between objective exposures and all-cause mortality by subjective perception: The data consisted of a linkage between the 2001 census, mortality register data from 1 October 2001 to 31 December 2016 and objective indicators of the residential living environment (air and noise pollution and green spaces). We used Cox regression to investigate the impact of objective and subjective indicators of the living environment and their potential interaction effect on all-cause mortality in the Brussels Capital Region: A negative subjective perception of the residential living environment is associated with an increased risk of mortality, even when controlling for socio-demographic parameters. Similarly, objective indicators of air pollutants and green spaces are also related to mortality. When studying the interaction effect, the beneficial effect of a neutral subjective perception stands out. Subjectively satisfied individuals living in the worst objective conditions showed the highest level of mortality hazard. Noise pollution was the only exception, characterized by the lack of an interaction effect: This study showed that besides objective indicators, the subjective perception of the residential environment also matters, and both interact to influence life chances. Subjective indicators not only have a genuine independent impact but also act as an underlying factor in the relationship between the objective residential environment and health.

Suggested Citation

  • Joachim Gotink & Sylvie Gadeyne, 2025. "Perception of the Residential Living Environment: The Relationship Between Objective and Subjective Indicators of the Residential Living Environment and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(3), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:3:p:391-:d:1607739
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/391/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/391/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    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:22:y:2025:i:3:p:391-:d:1607739. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.