## 4 Discussion  
The statistical analyses from this study identified the range of factors that can impact the perceived thermal comfort and air quality of the social housing residents. Model 3, which incorporated the most comprehensive selection of parameters in the study, indicated that in terms of overall environmental satisfaction, air quality satisfaction, age, smoking habit, employment status and educational level statistically significantly predicted respondents' physical health. For the same Model 3, mental health was significantly correlated with air quality satisfaction, thermal environment satisfaction and alcohol consumption status. Looking at individual variables and their impact on perceived air quality, Model 3 showed statistically significant relationships with odours from external sources, duration of residence in the housing, alcohol consumption and smoking habit. Findings from other studies corroborate some of the results of this work. [PERSON] et al. [45] examined indoor environmental quality in Canadian social housing and found that poor air quality was experienced by 80% of residents on a weekly basis. Cooking, smoking and outdoor odours contributed to this perceived poor air quality. The study by [PERSON] et al. [46] indicated the importance of perceived air quality studies as they found that residents' perceptions of their indoor air quality were more positive than would be indicated by objective measurements. Additionally, as with this current study, [PERSON] found that perceived indoor air quality was strongly linked to an occupant's social status. [PERSON] et al. [47] studied people's perceptions of air quality for a range of ventilation rates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Surprisingly, they found that perceived air quality could be high even when VOC levels were high, suggesting that VOCs are not a defining feature of perceived air quality. This type of finding indicates the importance of the suggestion by [PERSON] et al. [48] that an occupant's perception of air quality should be incorporated into any traditional physical air quality monitoring programme. The findings from the current study would support this suggestion. The correlation between mental health outcomes and variables such as air quality satisfaction, thermal environment satisfaction, and alcohol consumption status shows the complex relationship between environmental factors and psychological well-being. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, may precipitate neurocognitive disorders and adversely affect mental health through mechanisms such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and cerebrovascular damage [49; 50; 51]. These pathophysiological changes are linked to the onset of depression via neurotransmitter and hormonal dysregulation [53], with long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM\({}_{2.5}\)) and nitrogen dioxide (NO\({}_{2}\)) significantly elevating the risk of depression [54]. Additionally, dissatisfaction with the indoor temperature has been identified as a determinant of mental health scores among low-income residents [55], with extreme temperatures being associated with a spectrum of mental health issues, from increased suicide risk to worsened self-reported well-being [56; 57]. The complex relationship between environmental factors and psychological well-being is further complicated by the role of alcohol consumption. This study found that frequent alcohol consumption (\(\geq\)4 times per week) significantly negatively predicts the self-rated mental health component but not the physical health of social housing residents. According to previous studies, those with an increasing drinking trajectory had an increased risk of experiencing physical and mental health morbidity and mortality as well as an economic disadvantage [58; 59].