20 JUL 2026 (MON) 15:35 - 16:05

Socio-Spatial Segregation and Urban Health Equity: Linking Macro-Scale Neighborhood Isolation to Micro-Scale Real-Time Environmental Stress among Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong

Mr. SUN Jiashuo    

( Supervisor: Prof Yanjia Cao )

Abstract:

Residential segregation is a powerful socio-spatial process and a fundamental social determinant of health (SDOH). This MPhil research bridges macro-scale structural inequality with micro-scale personal exposure by examining how neighborhood-level segregation shapes resource access, and how dynamic environmental interactions dictate real-time physiological stress responses among Foreign Domestic Helpers (FDHs) compared to local residents. 

The first phase systematically examined segregation across Hong Kong using 2021 census data through the local spatial isolation index at the Large Subunit Group level across multiple socioeconomic and demographic dimensions—income, ethnicity, age, educational attainment, and occupation. Associations with 15-minute walking access to recreational facilities and fresh-food outlets (classified into top-, mid-, and bottom-tier price-quality brackets) were estimated using negative binomial hurdle models. While groups like low-income households or older adults showed non-monotonic associations, the most consistent access disadvantage was found in areas with higher segregation of Filipino or Indonesian residents and workers in elementary occupations. These areas had lower walking access to affordable mid- and bottom-tier outlets, public parks, and public sports facilities, suggesting a distinct "double burden" where marginalized migrant status intersects with compromised health-supportive environments. Conversely, higher segregation of Filipino or Indonesian residents paradoxically associated with greater access to premium top-tier outlets. This reveals a striking "food mirage": under the live-in labor regime, FDHs are co-located within affluent neighborhoods alongside their employers, placing them in immediate proximity to high-end resources that remain financially and socially inaccessible. 

Building upon these macro-baselines, the second phase transitions to a micro-scale dynamic tracking paradigm to investigate how these constrained residential arrangements and institutional space-time limitations affect real-time mental well-being. Methodologically, this phase couples GPS tracking and wearable biosensors with Large Language Model (LLM)-driven semantic extraction of emotion valences from narrative diaries. Preliminary results demonstrate clear environmental differentiations in well-being: religious places, blue spaces, and green spaces show the strongest restoration, whereas local wet markets present a source of mild stress due to their crowded and noisy nature. 

In conclusion, this study demonstrates that residential segregation is not a uniform spatial pattern but a multi-dimensional process intersecting with class, ethnicity, and institutional labor regimes. Linking macro-level isolation to micro-level physiological responses provides an evidence-based framework for urban planning and migrant welfare policies to mitigate urban health inequalities.