Housing well-being and sleep in Australia

Abstract

Objectives: The built and social aspects of housing influence a broad range of health and social outcomes and may be important enablers of barriers to occupants accessing sufficient and good-quality sleep. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between housing well-being (a conceptualization of housing-related [dis]advantage), with self-reported sleep outcomes in Australians.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of Wave 21 (2021) of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, a longitudinal, population-based study of Australian households. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine the association between "housing well-being" and sleep outcomes. The sample analyzed consisted of 13,516 respondents.

Results: Greater housing insecurity (a composite score comprising tenure type, housing affordability stress, and housing mobility) was associated with higher odds of insufficient sleep (AOR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.41) and sleep disturbance (AOR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.22) after adjustment. Unsuitable housing (a composite score comprising dwelling type, occupant density, and housing quality) was associated with increased odds of insufficient sleep (AOR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.55), napping (AOR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.25), and sleep disturbance (AOR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.26) after adjustment.

Conclusions: Improving housing condition and circumstances may support the sleep health of Australians. Future research should explore the ways in which sleep may play a mediating role through which built environments affect other health and well-being outcomes.

Keywords: Environmental factors; Housing insecurity; Housing quality; Residential instability; Sleep disturbances; Sleep duration.