Tenants are more likely to rate their health as fair or poor, while homeowners are more likely to rate themselves in good health. Housing conditions do have an impact on health, indicates an analysis by the Quebec Observatory of Inequalities published Thursday.
This study explores the links between heritage, in particular real estate heritage, and social inequalities in health. The results show that 17% of renter households perceive their health as poor or fair, compared to 8% of owner households.
There are also twice as many tenants who perceive their mental health as fair or poor, i.e. 16% compared to 7.5% of owners.
Sandy Torres, sociologist and researcher at the Observatory, who co-signed the study, however, clarifies that this does not mean that the tenants are all sick and that the owners are all in good health. Many factors can explain health problems, including hereditary factors.
“It shows the importance of certain social factors in explaining the frequency of certain diseases or in explaining that we can have a longer life expectancy,” said Ms. Torres.
It defines heritage as the net wealth of an individual taking into account all the property they own and which has a market value from which we subtract all their debts.
“We must therefore take into account debt, and there are many studies which have shown that debt can have negative impacts on the level of health,” Ms. Torres said in an interview.
His study cites an Ontario analysis that found “a significant association between the level of debt-related stress and the prevalence of psychological distress, as well as poorer perceptions of general health and mental health.” , regardless of age, gender, education, employment and income.
Heritage inequalities in Quebec
The positive impact on homeowners’ health may result from the residential stability it provides, the study says. Another explanation is that good housing conditions are more favorable to owners.
If a person is poorly housed — they live in too small a space, poor quality housing or if they exceed their ability to pay for housing — this will have an impact on their other expenses, in particular for care or food .
“The impacts of inadequate housing on health are well documented,” said Ms. Torres, adding that it also affects homeowners.
“Except that if we look at the statistics available at the CMHC [Société canadienne d’hypothèques et de logement] or at the Institute of Statistics of Quebec, proportionately, tenants are generally more concerned by these housing difficulties and this is particularly true for the question of affordability. »
In Quebec, we say that housing is unaffordable when the ability to pay for it exceeds 30% of income.
“In general, inadequate housing conditions can lead to cardiac, respiratory and mental health problems as well as unintentional trauma and promote the transmission of infectious diseases,” we can read in the Observatory’s analysis.
Real estate is the most important type of asset in Quebec. It represented 35% of the total assets of Quebec families in 2019.
The owner rate stood at 60% in Quebec, according to the 2021 census, and at 66.5% in Canada. The ownership rate varies greatly from one region to another. It is 73% in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region and 72% in Lanaudière. In Montreal, it stands at 40%.
In another study this fall, the Observatory noted that wealth inequalities in Quebec are much more accentuated than income inequalities. The richest 10% of families have, on average, 76 times more wealth than the families in the poorest 40%.
Security net
In Quebec and Canada, “life expectancy improves as one climbs the income ladder while the prevalence of many illnesses and disabilities gradually decreases,” says the study. ‘Observatory.
The fact that lower-income households are more affected by various health problems is well documented, said Ms. Torres.
She argues that property provides a “safety net,” which translates into financial security, but also security in a broader sense. “It gives more autonomy, more control over our living conditions, it allows us to make choices and take risks that can pay off. When you have a certain level of heritage, that’s all it allows. And this is perhaps why it can have a benefit on well-being and health,” explains the sociologist.
She adds that this also translates to financial assets. A tenant with significant investments also has a safety net. “With heritage, it allows us to expand beyond income to see what can play a protective role. It gives you opportunities to adapt,” she says.
Studies carried out in the United States show an association between having lower assets and a greater risk of contracting certain diseases or having a greater risk of mortality. Our neighbors to the South, however, have a health system that is very different from ours.
However, country studies from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) make similar connections. “So we see that regardless of the health system, there can be this positive correlation between less wealth and more health problems,” explains Ms. Torres.
She thinks that these studies could inspire researchers to explore this question in the Quebec context.
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