Health Science Monitor

en Investigating the Relationship Between Environmental and Quantitative Housing Indicators and the COVID-19 Infection Rate: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urmia سلامت محیط و کار Environmental and Occupational Health پژوهشي Research Article <div style="text-align: justify;">Background Economic and social conditions, housing characteristics, and neighborhood environments substantially influence the spread of COVID-19. This study examined the relationship between environmental and quantitative housing indicators and COVID-19 infection among households in Urmia. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study included individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020. Using Cochran’s formula, 420 participants were randomly selected from approximately 35,000 hospitalized patients, and Moran’s analysis was applied to confirm the randomness of the sample. Data sources included a demographic checklist, housing and environmental indicators, 2016 national census data, and Urmia’s detailed urban development plan. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 25. Results Of the assessed residential units, 71% (n=298) had infection rates above 50%. COVID-19 infection was inversely associated with access to green space (p=0.025), indicating that households with greater proximity to green areas experienced lower infection rates. The regression model accounted for 32.4% of the variance in infection rates, with household crowding (t=7.279) and access to green space (t=−2.116) showing the strongest effects. Conclusions Housing conditions play a significant role in the transmission of COVID-19. Improving safety standards in contemporary built environments may help mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. Urban planning and design policies should incorporate these findings to reduce infection rates and mortality during pandemics.</div> COVID-19, Environmental exposure, Housing, Iran, Urban health 252 259 http://hsm.umsu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-92-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Farzad Dargahi f.dargahi@modares.ac.ir 10031947532846004670 10031947532846004670 No Urban Planning Department, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Rana Hosseini hosseini.r@umsu.ac.ir 10031947532846004671 10031947532846004671 Yes Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Ali Jamili ali_jey1997@yahoo.com 10031947532846004672 10031947532846004672 No Urban Planning Department, Urban and Regional Planning Faculty of Social Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran Mojtaba Rafieian rafiei_m@modares.ac.ir 10031947532846004673 10031947532846004673 No Urban Planning Department, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran Kosar Skhaeian Kosar.sakhaeian98@ms.tabrizu.ac.ir 10031947532846004674 10031947532846004674 No Department of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (RS & GIS), Faculty of planning and Environmental Sciences, University of Tabriz, Iran Habibollah Pirnejad pirnejad.h@umsu.ac.ir 10031947532846004675 10031947532846004675 No Patient Safety Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urima, Iran