Housing distress and subsequent health and well-being among older adults: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach.

ABSTRACT: Housing insecurity is increasing among older adults in the U.S., yet the impact of housing-related distress on health and well-being in this population is understudied. This study uses three waves of prospective data from a national sample of U.S. adults aged 50+ years (Health and Retirement Study, N = 12,998) to examine associations between housing distress and 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being four years later. We also assess differences by military veteran status in stratified analyses. After adjustment for a rich set of potential confounders, we found that housing distress was associated with most (7/12) indicators of psychological well-being and distress (e.g., lower life satisfaction, purpose; higher depressive symptoms, hopelessness), some (3/14) indicators of physical health (e.g., more chronic conditions, lower self-rated health), and higher loneliness, but was not associated with health behaviors after correction for multiple testing. Results stratified by veteran status indicated stronger associations among non-veterans. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to reduce housing insecurity among older adults and mitigate its psychological and physical health consequences.

SUBMITTER: Wilkinson R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12856629 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature