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. 2025 Aug 6;20(8):e0329879.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329879. eCollection 2025.

Exploring influences of health and wellbeing in Sydney's apartment living: A qualitative study of residents' perceptions

Tamara Al-Obaidi  1 , Jason Prior  1 , Erica McIntyre  1
Affiliations

Exploring influences of health and wellbeing in Sydney's apartment living: A qualitative study of residents' perceptions

Tamara Al-Obaidi et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

In Australia, and internationally, a shift is occurring towards high-density apartment living with initiatives and research showing an increased interest in the relations between health, wellbeing and apartment buildings. This study explores the complex associations between residents' perceptions of their health and wellbeing and the apartment buildings where they live within the context of Sydney, Australia, as the case study. It challenges the fragmented approach previously used to study healthy apartment living and their underlying assumptions that do not account for a coupled human-environment systems view of health and wellbeing concerning apartment living. Qualitative research was used, which included in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 residents living in different apartment buildings, supplemented by fieldwork and narrated photographs. Using a structured iterative thematic analysis process, 20 areas of health and wellbeing influence (themes) were identified and further categorised using synthetic thinking into diverse, context-dependent, multilevel, and pervading influences. The findings from this exploratory study suggest a complex view of health and wellbeing by residents of apartment buildings and provide novel and important insights that have not been previously reported in such breadth.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Conceptual framework to understand influences of health and wellbeing concerning apartment buildings within local context.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Conceptual model of health and wellbeing influences concerning high-density apartment living in Sydney.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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