Housing and Health: Beyond Disciplinary Confinement

Abstract

There is a need for innovative research on housing and health. In contrast to traditional disciplinary studies, which are sector-based, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contributions offer a broader approach. Interdisciplinary approaches highlight the difference between a biomedical model that often adopts a symptom-treatment interpretation of housing and health and a holistic or integrated model that combines biological, cultural, economic, political, psychological and social factors in a new way. This article illustrates the pertinence of interdisciplinary contributions to develop a more holistic understanding of housing density and how it can be interpreted to understand the complex relationship between housing conditions and health status.