Work

Applying a systems perspective to understand the health effects of holistic housing renovation in a deprived neighbourhood in the Netherlands: Development of a causal loop diagram

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Whereas ‘systems thinking’ rapidly becomes popular in public health, and whereas many housing interventions have been evaluated in ‘traditional ways’, we aim at moving the field further by describing the application of a Causal Loop Diagram for the purpose of the evaluation of a complex public health intervention: holistic housing renovation. Holistic housing renovations have the potential to reduce health inequalities by addressing physical housing issues and socioeconomic problems of residents in social housing in deprived neighbourhoods. We developed a Causal Loop Diagram, combining perspectives from stakeholders and scientific literature, visualizing the complex dynamics via which holistic housing renovations can impact health of residents in social housing. We identified six interconnected mechanisms which potentially generate health effects in different time frames, with negative effects primarily occurring in the short term, while positive health effects may take longer to manifest. Our paper shows how constructing a CLD can help to assess effectiveness of housing interventions by formulating hypotheses about their impact.

Source: Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University)

Authors: Koops-Van Hoffen, H. E., Kamphuis, C. B.M., Vendrig-De Punder, Y. M.R., Jambroes, M., Van Lenthe, F. J., Urban Accessibility and Social Inclusion, Leerstoel de Wit, Social Policy and Public Health

Language: English

Topic: Complex Systems and Decision Making

Subfield: Management Science and Operations Research

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7026830827

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