Aug 2026· International Journal of Public Health and Nursing· Vol 2, pp. 110-116· 0 citations· 18 references
TL;DR
The findings indicate that awareness and personal precautions cannot substitute for source-oriented emission control and an integrated intervention architecture is proposed, combining enforceable urban regulation, school- and community-based risk communication, real-time air-quality information and practical exposure-reduction measures.
Abstract
Air pollution is an increasingly consequential environmental health risk for young people in rapidly urbanizing areas. Yet respiratory risk is shaped not only by pollutant exposure but also by policy effectiveness, community support and individual protective behaviour. This study develops and tests a multilevel framework integrating air-pollution exposure, policy management and control, community action, youth protective awareness and respiratory health symptoms. The original dataset contained 438 questionnaire records. Following screening for substantial non-response and straight-line answering, 421 cases were retained for partial least squares structural equation modelling. The measurement model achieved acceptable internal consistency and convergent validity: Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.785 to 0.822, composite reliability from 0.854 to 0.876, and average variance extracted from 0.540 to 0.586. Air-pollution exposure significantly increased respiratory symptoms (β = 0.324, p < 0.001). Policy management strengthened community action, while policy management, community support and perceived exposure promoted youth protective behaviour. However, policy, community and individual protective constructs did not directly reduce respiratory symptoms. The findings indicate that awareness and personal precautions cannot substitute for source-oriented emission control. An integrated intervention architecture is proposed, combining enforceable urban regulation, school- and community-based risk communication, real-time air-quality information and practical exposure-reduction measures.
Air quality indices play a critical role in assessing and communicating the health risks associated with ambient air pollution. In Canada, the Air Quality Health Index is designed for real-time public communication, while the Air Health Trend Indicator monitors temporal trends in population-level health risks and supports policy evaluation. However, as air quality indices are primarily grounded in population-level biostatistics, there is a growing need to incorporate behavioural and social determinants, for which evidence remains fragmented across disciplines and geographical contexts. This umbrella review systematically examined how behavioural and social factors influence exposure to ambient air pollution, with the aim of informing the refinement of air quality indices in diverse local contexts, including Canada.
Five databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, GreenFILE, Environment Complete) were systematically searched in November 2024 to identify studies reporting human behaviours and social structures as either exogenous or endogenous variables associated with exposure to ambient air pollution. Quality assessment using the JBI tools, quantitative descriptive analysis, and qualitative thematic analysis were conducted.
Findings from 18 reviews included participants varying in age, region, race, behaviour type, and health conditions. Evidence synthesis identified two overarching categories—human behaviour, society—comprising three behavioural themes (physical activity, travel, protection), four societal themes (public health, urban planning, neighbourhood/housing, social identity), and 17 subthemes. Findings indicate that time spent outdoors is associated with increased individual exposure to air pollution, while social factors such as greenspace and public health advisories, as well as race and socio-economic status, influence community-level exposure.
The findings highlight the need to integrate behavioural and social factors into air quality assessment frameworks. A more nuanced understanding of behaviour-society-environment interactions is essential to underpin the development of equitable, evidence-based public health interventions that both mitigate health risks among vulnerable populations and promote overall public health in increasingly polluted urban environments.
Eun Jung, Eun-Young Lee, H. Shin· BMC Public Health· 0 citations
This paper examines whether the establishment of “Key Controlled Areas for Air Pollution Prevention and Control” and its associated policy package in China improved residents’ health. Based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011–2018, Our study finds that this command-and-control environmental regulation is associated with notable declines in residents’ morbidity from asthma, lung disease, and heart disease, while also producing preventive effects. Potential channel analysis indicates that these health improvements operate through reduced air pollution, heightened public environmental concern, and enhanced residents’ lung function. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the respiratory benefits for asthma are larger among rural residents, males, and the in-service group; the benefits for lung disease are larger among rural residents, females, and the in-service group; the cardiovascular benefits for heart disease are larger among urban residents, females, and the retired group. Furthermore, this paper also finds that the establishment of this policy and its associated policy package is significantly associated with lower residents’ medical expenditures and improved subjective and mental health.
Xi Gu, Si-Jia Qiao, Xing-Ran Yuan· Sustainability· 0 citations
Summary
This thesis broadly highlights the magnitude of the health burden attributable to air pollution and examines the exposure pathways and intervention sustainability in rural northern Ghana.
CHAPTER 1 introduces the global and local significance of air pollution as a leading environmental health risk, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where populations face a dual burden of household and ambient pollution. The chapter outlines critical evidence gaps regarding mortality burdens across the life course, specific cardiometabolic pathways, and the sustainability of clean cooking interventions. It presents the conceptual framework linking these gaps to the study's three research objectives and describes the unique research platform of the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance System (NHDSS).
CHAPTER 2 investigates the relationship between early-life exposure to ambient PM₂.₅, household fuel use, and under-5 mortality in the NHDSS. The analysis demonstrates that while early-life ambient PM₂.₅ showed no significant association with mortality, household use of unclean cooking fuels was associated with a 73% higher mortality risk. This finding establishes household air pollution as a critical determinant of child survival in this setting.
CHAPTER 3 extends the mortality analysis to adults, examining associations between cooking fuel type, ambient PM₂.₅ exposure, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The use of unclean cooking fuels was associated with 53% higher all-cause mortality, 76% higher non-communicable disease mortality, and 74% higher cardiovascular mortality. The findings reveal the substantial contribution of household air pollution to adult mortality amidst Sub-Saharan Africa's epidemiological transition.
CHAPTER 4 examines the epidemiological association between long-term PM₂.₅ exposure and components of cardiometabolic disease in an adult Ghanaian cohort. The analysis reveals a specific association with hypertension but not with overall metabolic syndrome or its non-hypertensive components. The population attributable fraction indicates that 18.6% of hypertension cases may be attributable to PM₂.₅ exposure in this population.
CHAPTER 5 evaluates the long-term adoption and barriers to sustained use of improved cookstoves distributed in prior interventions. The study reveals substantial disadoption rates three years post-intervention, with economic factors (fuel costs, stove breakage) and cooking preferences identified as primary barriers. These findings highlight the implementation challenges in transitioning households to clean cooking technologies.
CHAPTER 6 provides a general discussion that synthesizes the key findings, methodological considerations, public health implications, and directions for future research. The discussion emphasizes the primacy of household air pollution in this rural setting, the life-course perspective on exposure effects, the specificity of the hypertension pathway, and the complex reality of intervention sustainability. The chapter argues for integrated strategies that combine environmental and clinical approaches to reduce air pollution's health burden. It also concludes with an impact section outlining the scientific and societal contributions of the research, highlighting how the thesis provides novel longitudinal evidence from a well-characterized African cohort, strengthens the case for prioritizing household energy transitions, and offers implementation insights for designing more effective clean cooking interventions in similar settings across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Air pollution has become a major global challenge, imposing substantial health and economic burdens while threatening progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study investigates the impact of air pollution on healthcare expenditure using panel data from 95 countries over the period 2010-2020. Two complementary indicators of air pollution, emissions per unit area (EMS) and ambient PM2.5 concentration, are employed to distinguish pollution intensity from population exposure. Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models with robust standard errors are estimated to examine the direct effects of air pollution, while interaction models are used to assess the moderating roles of urbanization, industrialization, and national income levels. The results indicate that EMS significantly increases healthcare expenditure, whereas PM2.5 exhibits a counterintuitive negative association, suggesting that institutional capacity, preventive healthcare, and policy responses may influence the pollution-healthcare expenditure relationship. Urbanization mitigates the adverse effect of PM2.5, and heterogeneous impacts are observed across income groups. The findings contribute to the literature by integrating dual pollution indicators and crosscountry heterogeneity, providing evidence to support policies aimed at strengthening environmental governance, improving preventive healthcare systems, and advancing sustainable development.
Loan Thị Vũ, Trang Dinh, Thao Phuong Hoang et al.· VNU University of Economics...· 0 citations
Environmental exposure was associated with self-perceived health and well-being, underscoring the need for integrated, system-based policies, such as One Health, to promote sustainable urban well-being.
Elodie Eiffener, Andrei Pyko, Ö. Axelsson et al.· Environmental Epidemiology· 0 citations
Background: Air pollution poses a serious threat to public health as it contributes to a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDS) such as respiratory illness and cardiovascular diseases. This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of the impacts of air pollution on sex, health, and the environment, with a brief highlight on pollution-related policies in Nepal. It reviews the environmental effects of air pollution and existing policies for controlling air pollution.
Methods: This review followed the five-stage methodological framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley and was reported by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A comprehensive search was conducted across databases, including Frontiers, Google Scholar, and PubMed, using keywords related to air pollution, its impact, and policies. 104 were initially identified, with 12 meeting the inclusion criteria.
Results: The review synthesizes the findings from studies conducted between 2018 and 2024, indicating that women, particularly involved in cooking with biomass fuels, face higher exposure to harmful pollutants, leading to serious health outcomes like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), eye disorders, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The studies revealed that the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) has often exceeded World Health Organization guidelines, and indoor and outdoor air pollution negatively impact environmental health and human wellbeing.
Conclusion: The study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy measures to mitigate air pollution and protect vulnerable populations, particularly women, in Nepal. Further research is essential to address existing gaps for different sexes and inform effective public health strategies.
Ritika Parajuli, Saurya Aryal, S. Khanal et al.· Nepal Journal of Public Heal...· 0 citations
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