Effects of air pollution on children from a socioecological perspective

• Published in: BMC pediatrics 2019-11, Vol.19 (1), p.442-9, Article 442
• Main Authors: In Kim, Jong, Kim, Gukbin, Choi, Yeonja
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Analysis; Banks (Finance); Children; Deaths of children under age 5; Electrification rates; Equality; Indoor air pollution; Inequality in life expectancy; Life expectancy; Natural resource depletion; Non-solid fuel; Pollution; Socioecological perspective
• ISSN: 1471-2431; 1471-2431
• DOI: 10.1186/s12887-019-1815-x

Country-level inequality in life expectancy (ILE) and deaths of children under age five due to air pollution (DCAP) can be influenced by country-level income per capita, solid fuel, electrification, and natural resource depletion. The ILE and DCAP in the short-term are useful indicators that can help in developing ways to reduce environmental threats. This study confirms evidence for ILE and DCAP as the effects of environmental threats by country-level income, energy, and natural resource levels from a socioecological approach. This study based on life expectancy and children data on 164 countries acquired from the United Nations Development Programme. We obtained the country-level socioecological data from the United Nations and the World Bank database. We assessed the associations between ILE, DCAP, and the country-level indicators applying correlations coefficient and the regression models. These study findings showed considerable correlations between ILE and country-level socioecological indicators: gross national income per capita (GNI), non-solid fuel (NSF), electrification rate (ER), and natural resource depletion (NRD). The DCAP in short-term predictors were low NSF and low ER (R  = 0.552), and ILE predictors were low GNI, NSF, and ER and higher NRD (R  = 0.816). Thus, the countries with higher incomes and electrification rates and more sustainable natural resources had lower expected DCAP in the short-term and ILE in the long-term. Based on our results, we confirmed that country-level income, energy, and natural resource indicators had important effects on ILE in long-term and DCAP in short-term. We recommend that countries consider targeting high standards of living and national incomes, access to non-solid fuel and electricity as energy sources, and sustainable natural resources to reduce ILE and DCAP in short-term.