biostudies-literatureUnknown33Wilkinson RHousing 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, <i>N</i> = 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.SSM - population health101900https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12856629biostudies-literatureHousing distress and subsequent health and well-being among older adults: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach.PMC12856629Cowden RGByrne THKoh HKTsai JNakamura JSKim ESLong KNGWilkinson RMolinsky JHVanderWeele TJfalseHousing distress and subsequent health and well-being among older adults: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach.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, <i>N</i> = 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.2026-01-01T00:00:00Z2026 Mar2026-06-20T03:12:49.347Z2026-06-20T03:10:12.166ZS-EPMC128566294162496710.1016/j.ssmph.2026.101900