Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) (2025a) defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. Although complete wellbeing might appear unachievable, the WHO views health holistically and recognises that it is influenced by many factors.
Social determinants of health – social, economic and environmental factors, such as income, housing, environment, transport, education and work – have a profound effect on the lives of the individual and the population (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), 2025).
People in poor-quality and overcrowded housing have an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as depression and anxiety. Air pollution also contributes to an increase in respiratory and cardiovascular conditions (WHO, 2025b). Access to green spaces has been shown to improve physical and mental
health and is associated with lower rates of obesity (Jeffries et al, 2025). Health inequalities are ‘avoidable, unfair and systematic differences in health between different groups of people’ that cannot simply be seen as the difference in health between individuals (Jeffries et al, 2025).