TY - JOUR
T1 - Multi-dimensional community characteristics in linking particulate matter pollution and cause-specific mortality
T2 - 72 communities of South Korea
AU - Kim, Honghyok
AU - Bell, Michelle L.
AU - Lee, Jong Tae
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No.NRF-2020R1A2C1007274).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2021/5
Y1 - 2021/5
N2 - Concentration-response function for exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and mortality (i.e., relative risk, RR) may be inequal across communities by socioeconomic conditions. Investigation on specific mechanisms of this inequality regarding susceptibility to PM, beyond non-specific “socioeconomic conditions”, would provide policy-relevant implications for tackling this inequality. However, such investigation via epidemiological studies is challenged by residual confounding by correlated mechanisms and different loss of life expectancy by PM exposures between communities. Here, we aimed to assess community characteristics including different aspects of socioeconomic deprivation, medical resources, health behaviors, air quality, and greenness in their relation to inequal RR for PM10 and cause-specific mortality in 72 municipalities in South Korea, 2006–2013, considering these challenges. We found that a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 on average across 46 days was associated with a 1.05% (95% CI: 0.24, 1.88) increase in all-cause mortality (ALL), 1.32% (95% CI: -0.29, 2.95) increase in cardiovascular mortality (CVD), and 6.47% (95% CI: 3.06, 10.00) increase in respiratory mortality (RES). The association between PM10 and mortality was higher in communities with higher ratio of SO2 to PM10 (ALL and RES), higher material deprivation (ALL, CVD, and RES), lower medical resources (CVD), higher prevalence of drinking (ALL and CVD), and lower prevalence of smoking (CVD and RES). Lag-structures showed smaller loss of life expectancy by PM exposures in communities with higher prevalence of smoking. Our findings suggest that PM-related health inequalities are shaped by a variety of mechanisms relating to susceptibility to PM exposures and different loss of life expectancy. Health policies controlling community characteristics may contribute to minimizing PM10-related health inequalities in those perspectives.
AB - Concentration-response function for exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and mortality (i.e., relative risk, RR) may be inequal across communities by socioeconomic conditions. Investigation on specific mechanisms of this inequality regarding susceptibility to PM, beyond non-specific “socioeconomic conditions”, would provide policy-relevant implications for tackling this inequality. However, such investigation via epidemiological studies is challenged by residual confounding by correlated mechanisms and different loss of life expectancy by PM exposures between communities. Here, we aimed to assess community characteristics including different aspects of socioeconomic deprivation, medical resources, health behaviors, air quality, and greenness in their relation to inequal RR for PM10 and cause-specific mortality in 72 municipalities in South Korea, 2006–2013, considering these challenges. We found that a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 on average across 46 days was associated with a 1.05% (95% CI: 0.24, 1.88) increase in all-cause mortality (ALL), 1.32% (95% CI: -0.29, 2.95) increase in cardiovascular mortality (CVD), and 6.47% (95% CI: 3.06, 10.00) increase in respiratory mortality (RES). The association between PM10 and mortality was higher in communities with higher ratio of SO2 to PM10 (ALL and RES), higher material deprivation (ALL, CVD, and RES), lower medical resources (CVD), higher prevalence of drinking (ALL and CVD), and lower prevalence of smoking (CVD and RES). Lag-structures showed smaller loss of life expectancy by PM exposures in communities with higher prevalence of smoking. Our findings suggest that PM-related health inequalities are shaped by a variety of mechanisms relating to susceptibility to PM exposures and different loss of life expectancy. Health policies controlling community characteristics may contribute to minimizing PM10-related health inequalities in those perspectives.
KW - Air pollution
KW - Health inequality
KW - Mortality
KW - Mortality displacement
KW - PM
KW - Socioeconomic conditions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102491724&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110989
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110989
M3 - Article
C2 - 33689820
AN - SCOPUS:85102491724
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 196
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
M1 - 110989
ER -
