Housing And Cardiometabolic Risk Among Older Renters And Homeowners

Scholars consistently find that renters have poorer health outcomes when compared with homeowners. Health disparities between renters and homeowners likely widen over the life course, yet few studies have examined this link among older adults, and the connection is not fully understood. Homeowners' relative socio-economic advantage may explain their better health; renters also more commonly experience adverse housing conditions and financial challenges, both of which can harm health. In this paper, we analyse the extent to which socio-economic advantage, housing conditions, and financial strain explain the relationship between homeownership and health among adults over age 50, using Health and Retirement Study 2010/2012 data to assess cardiometabolic risk (CMR) levels using biomarkers for inflammation, cardiovascular health, and metabolic function. We find that people living with poor housing conditions and financial strain have higher CMR levels, even taking socio-economic advantage into account. This analysis sheds light on the housing-related health challenges of older adults, especially older renters.