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Connecting Air Pollution Exposure to Socioeconomic Status : A Cross-Sectional Study on Environmental Injustice among Pregnant Women in Scania, Sweden

Flanagan, Erin LU orcid ; Stroh, Emilie LU orcid ; Oudin, Anna LU and Malmqvist, Ebba LU orcid (2019) In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16(24).
Abstract

Environmental injustice, characterized by lower socioeconomic status (SES) persons being subjected to higher air pollution concentrations, was explored among pregnant women in Scania, Sweden. Understanding if the general reduction of air pollution recorded is enjoyed by all SES groups could illuminate existing inequalities and inform policy development. "Maternal Air Pollution in Southern Sweden", an epidemiological database, contains data for 48,777 pregnancies in Scanian hospital catchment areas and includes births from 1999-2009. SES predictors considered included education level, household disposable income, and birth country. A Gaussian dispersion model was used to model women's average NOX and PM2.5 exposure at home residence over... (More)

Environmental injustice, characterized by lower socioeconomic status (SES) persons being subjected to higher air pollution concentrations, was explored among pregnant women in Scania, Sweden. Understanding if the general reduction of air pollution recorded is enjoyed by all SES groups could illuminate existing inequalities and inform policy development. "Maternal Air Pollution in Southern Sweden", an epidemiological database, contains data for 48,777 pregnancies in Scanian hospital catchment areas and includes births from 1999-2009. SES predictors considered included education level, household disposable income, and birth country. A Gaussian dispersion model was used to model women's average NOX and PM2.5 exposure at home residence over the pregnancy period. Total concentrations were dichotomized into emission levels below/above respective Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air objectives. The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. A sensitivity analysis facilitated the investigation of associations' variation over time. Lower-SES women born outside Sweden were disproportionately exposed to higher pollutant concentrations. Odds of exposure to NOX above Swedish EPA objectives reduced over time, especially for low-SES persons. Environmental injustice exists in Scania, but it lessened with declining overall air pollution levels, implying that continued air quality improvement could help protect vulnerable populations and further reduce environmental inequalities.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ambient air pollution, environmental injustice, nitrogen oxide, NOX, particulate matter, PM2.5, pregnant women, socioeconomic status
in
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
volume
16
issue
24
article number
5116
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85076856666
  • pmid:31847380
ISSN
1660-4601
DOI
10.3390/ijerph16245116
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7aa38624-cc30-41a7-a724-5f969f5d2928
date added to LUP
2020-01-03 13:17:01
date last changed
2024-05-01 03:20:28
@article{7aa38624-cc30-41a7-a724-5f969f5d2928,
  abstract     = {{<p>Environmental injustice, characterized by lower socioeconomic status (SES) persons being subjected to higher air pollution concentrations, was explored among pregnant women in Scania, Sweden. Understanding if the general reduction of air pollution recorded is enjoyed by all SES groups could illuminate existing inequalities and inform policy development. "Maternal Air Pollution in Southern Sweden", an epidemiological database, contains data for 48,777 pregnancies in Scanian hospital catchment areas and includes births from 1999-2009. SES predictors considered included education level, household disposable income, and birth country. A Gaussian dispersion model was used to model women's average NOX and PM2.5 exposure at home residence over the pregnancy period. Total concentrations were dichotomized into emission levels below/above respective Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air objectives. The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. A sensitivity analysis facilitated the investigation of associations' variation over time. Lower-SES women born outside Sweden were disproportionately exposed to higher pollutant concentrations. Odds of exposure to NOX above Swedish EPA objectives reduced over time, especially for low-SES persons. Environmental injustice exists in Scania, but it lessened with declining overall air pollution levels, implying that continued air quality improvement could help protect vulnerable populations and further reduce environmental inequalities.</p>}},
  author       = {{Flanagan, Erin and Stroh, Emilie and Oudin, Anna and Malmqvist, Ebba}},
  issn         = {{1660-4601}},
  keywords     = {{ambient air pollution; environmental injustice; nitrogen oxide; NOX; particulate matter; PM2.5; pregnant women; socioeconomic status}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{24}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}},
  title        = {{Connecting Air Pollution Exposure to Socioeconomic Status : A Cross-Sectional Study on Environmental Injustice among Pregnant Women in Scania, Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16245116}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/ijerph16245116}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}