Abstract
Chinese air pollution is obviously increasing, and the government makes efforts to strengthen air pollution treatment. Although adverse health effects gradually emerge, research determining individual vulnerability is limited. This study estimated the relationship between air pollution and obesity. Individual information of 13,414 respondents from 125 cities is used in the analysis. This study employs ordinary least squares (OLS) and multinomial logit model (m-logit) to estimate the impact of air pollution on obesity. We choose different air pollution and Body Mass Index (BMI) indicators for estimation. Empirical results show Air Quality Index (AQI) is significantly positively associated with the BMI score. As AQI adds one unit, the BMI score increases 0.031 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001). The influence coefficients of particle size smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), particle size smaller than 10 μm (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) to the BMI score are 0.034 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001), 0.023 (SE = 0.001; p < 0.001), 0.52 (SE = 0.095; p < 0.001), 0.045 (SE = 0.004; p < 0.001), 0.021 (SE = 0.002; p < 0.001), 0.008 (SE = 0.003; p = 0.015), respectively. Generally, air pollution has an adverse effect on body weight. CO is the most influential pollutant, and female, middle-aged, and low-education populations are more severely affected. The results confirm that the adverse health effects of air pollution should be considered when making the air pollution policies. Findings also provide justification for health interventions, especially for people with obesity.
Highlights
China has achieved remarkable economic development over the past 30 years; an unintended consequence of this growth is its negative influence on the natural environment
The average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 23.77 and 12.02% were obese (Figure 3 depicts the histogram of the BMI score)
The 2015 CHARLS information and air pollution data for 125 cities from a national urban air quality monitoring network were used with ordinary least squares (OLS) and multinomial logit model (m-logit) estimation to assess the impact of air pollution on obesity in China
Summary
China has achieved remarkable economic development over the past 30 years; an unintended consequence of this growth is its negative influence on the natural environment. Regional pollution incidents in China have increased, which influence human well-being and threaten residents’ health. Many studies have explained the impact of air pollution on human health and the incidence of diseases such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases [1,2,3]. Several studies focused on various pollutants in the air and found that these pollutants could negatively affect multiple systems and organs in the human body at a specific concentration, thereby having a significant impact on population mortality and susceptibility to other diseases [4,5,6]. Public Health 2019, 16, 4296; doi:10.3390/ijerph16214296 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
