Neighbourhood environment and resident health: examining caste-based health inequities in urban India

Source abstract

This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood environmental conditions and resident health, with a specific focus on caste-based health inequities in urban India. Using Aligarh city as a case study, the research explores how caste stratification shapes exposure to environmental risks and access to healthcare services. Drawing on primary data from a household survey, the study analyzes variations in disease prevalence, healthcare preferences, provider behaviour, and insurance coverage across different caste groups. The findings reveal a strong association between environmentally degraded neighbourhoods and higher incidence of infectious and respiratory diseases. Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes, who are disproportionately concentrated in such areas, report greater disease frequency, longer waiting times in public facilities, and weaker financial protection through health insurance. Grounded in the social determinants of health framework, this research demonstrates how caste operates as a structural axis of urban health inequity, operating through both differential environmental exposure and uneven access to care. The findings underscore the need for integrated urban planning, caste-sensitive public health interventions, and strengthened financial protection mechanisms to advance environmental justice and equitable healthcare access in urban India.