Exploring the Nexus Between Wider Housing Inequalities and Health: Evidence Mapping and Bibliometric Network Analysis

Abstract Understanding how multiple housing-related inequalities coexist is crucial for addressing cumulative disadvantage in contemporary societies. Yet, the complexity of their interrelations remains insufficiently explored. This systematic review maps existing evidence on how different forms of housing and environment-related inequalities co-occur and, where examined, how these overlapping inequalities relate to physical and mental health outcomes. Guided by PRISMA protocols and supported by bibliometric and network analyses using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix, the study reviewed literature published since 2007, identifying 974 relevant papers for clustering and 53 for in-depth qualitative synthesis. The review examines the extent to which housing inequalities intersect with at least one of three wider dimensions—access to green and blue spaces, transport and infrastructure, and digital access—and how these intersections relate to health. Although nearly half of the included studies considered more than one wider dimension, research explicitly examining their combined effects remained limited, constraining understanding of cumulative disadvantage and its health consequences. Findings also reveal that vulnerable populations—including low-income households, older adults, migrants, ethnic minorities—are disproportionately affected by poor housing conditions compounded by limited access to spatial services and resources. This review calls for more integrated, longitudinal, and intersectional research to capture the complex interplay of housing conditions, wider environmental aspects, and health. It also highlights the need for inclusive urban planning and policy responses that place housing at the center of health equity strategies. Ensuring safe, affordable, and well-connected housing is both a public health priority and a foundation for sustainable urban development.