Air pollution moves up the global health agenda

Linou, Natalia; Beagley, Jessica; Huikuri, Suvi; Renshaw, Nina

doi:10.1136/bmj.k4933

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Breathing in good quality air daily is important for healthy living [1]. As a result, exposure to polluted air is now recognized as a vital risk factor for noncommunicable human disease conditions [2]. Air pollution has long-term health effects on people [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Air Pollution in Accra, Ghana: A Critical Survey

Odonkor

Mahami

2020

Journal of Environmental and Public Health

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Air pollution has been a major challenge worldwide particularly in the developing world. It has dire implications for human health. Understanding the knowledge and behaviour of the populace is key to the development and implementation of necessary intervention programmes. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of air pollution in the Accra, Ghana. The study employed a cross-sectional design to obtain quantitative data form 1404 respondents, and the results were analysed with SPSS version 23. There were more (54.1%) female respondents than males (45.9%) in the study. The majority (70.5%) of the respondents were aware of the haze (air pollution) and its adverse effects on health. There was however a significant relationship between the sociodemographics and air pollution awareness (P=0.01). There was also a correlation between residents’ age, educational level, length of stay, marital status, and knowledge/awareness rate of air pollution (P<0.05). Although the majority of the respondents are aware of air pollution and its relationship to their health, rates of awareness were low in some demographic groups like the elderly and the less educated. Therefore, nondiscriminatory policies should be formed toward the education and guidance of people to become knowledgeable about air pollution and related health challenges. Most of the residents admitted improving air quality is the responsibility of every citizen. The government should utilize this to form collaborative measure with the citizens for a more effective control of air pollution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Air Pollution in Accra, Ghana: A Critical Survey

Odonkor

Mahami

2020

Journal of Environmental and Public Health

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“…There is increasing realization that pollution is a major driver of non-communicable diseases around the globe 8 where the majority (71%) of the 9 million annual deaths attributed to pollution are caused by non-communicable diseases. The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health and subsequent reports specifically outlined the need to define and estimate the burdens of diabetes and kidney disease attributable to air pollution [9][10][11] . The United Nations high level meeting on non-communicable diseases, held in September 2018, outlined a shift in framework from the four-by-four to the five-by-five approach and added environmental risk factors as key drivers of non-communicable diseases 11 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health and subsequent reports specifically outlined the need to define and estimate the burdens of diabetes and kidney disease attributable to air pollution [9][10][11] . The United Nations high level meeting on non-communicable diseases, held in September 2018, outlined a shift in framework from the four-by-four to the five-by-five approach and added environmental risk factors as key drivers of non-communicable diseases 11 . The World Health Organization now formally recognizes environmental air pollution as a risk factor for non-communicable diseases 11 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diabetes Minimally Mediated the Association Between PM2.5 Air Pollution and Kidney Outcomes

Bowe

Yan

Xian

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Epidemiologic observations suggest that exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes, a causal driver of CKD. We evaluated whether diabetes mediates the association between PM2.5 and CKD. A cohort of 2,444,157 United States veterans were followed over a median 8.5 years. Environmental Protection Agency data provided PM2.5 exposure levels. Regression models assessed associations and their proportion mediated. A 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with increased odds of having a diabetes diagnosis (odds ratio: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.06–1.32), use of diabetes medication (1.22, 1.07–1.39), and increased risk of incident eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (hazard ratio:1.20, 95% CI: 1.13–1.29), incident CKD (1.28, 1.18–1.39), ≥30% decline in eGFR (1.23, 1.15–1.33), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or ≥50% decline in eGFR (1.17, 1.05–1.30). Diabetes mediated 4.7% (4.3–5.7%) of the association of PM2.5 with incident eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2, 4.8% (4.2–5.8%) with incident CKD, 5.8% (5.0–7.0%) with ≥30% decline in eGFR, and 17.0% (13.1–20.4%) with ESRD or ≥50% decline in eGFR. Diabetes minimally mediated the association between PM2.5 and kidney outcomes. The findings will help inform more accurate estimates of the burden of diabetes and burden of kidney disease attributable to PM2.5 pollution.

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“…A recent article about global environmental change and NCDs noted that not only have environmental determinants of NCDs been overlooked in the past by the WHO and others, but also that even the recent debates on the framing of NCDs have continued to ignore global environmental change [35]. It was only last year that air pollution, for example, was added as a risk factor to the WHO framework on NCDs [36].…”

Section: Reframing Ncdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While terms such as 'infectious diseases' point directly toward a step in the aetiological pathway of these conditions (namely infections), NCDs are defined in terms of what they are not, as highlighted by Allen and Feigl [44]. Part of the complication is that they are a diverse group encompassing not only the 'big four' conditions, but also mental illnesses (which were recently added to the WHO NCD framework [36]), genetic and congenital disorders, autoimmune disorders and musculoskeletal conditions, among others [46,53]. Moreover, many NCDs have very complex aetiologies [4], including gene-environment interactions and epigenetic changes.…”

Section: Themes: Complex Aetiologies and Multimorbiditiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reframing NCDs? An analysis of current debates

Adjaye-Gbewonyo

Vaughan

2019

Global Health Action

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There have been many debates in recent years as to whether the communicable disease versus non-communicable disease (NCD) division is a meaningful one in disease classification. Several critiques have been raised about the framing of NCDs, regarding not only the prominent role that infections play in the aetiology of NCDs, but also the communicability of many social determinants of NCDs and the individualistic, 'lifestyle' framing of NCDs that tends to focus on health behaviours to the neglect of socio-political, environmental, and structural determinants of health. In this paper, we give a historical overview of the usage of the NCD terminology and analyse some of the recent debates regarding the naming and framing of NCDs. We argue that a lack of reflection on the assumptions underlying the naming and framing of NCDs may lead to the collection of insufficient epidemiological data, the development of inappropriate interventions and the provision of inadequate care. Work in social epidemiology, health promotion, medical anthropology, demography, and other fields may provide insights into the ways in which efforts targeting NCDs may be reframed to improve impact and efficacy. In addition, concepts such as multimorbidity and syndemics, frameworks such as ecosocial theory and approaches based in the social sciences may provide a way forward in the conceptualization of disease.

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Air pollution moves up the global health agenda

Abstract: UN recognises air pollution as a key risk factor for NCDs

Cited by 17 publications

References 4 publications

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Air Pollution in Accra, Ghana: A Critical Survey

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Air Pollution in Accra, Ghana: A Critical Survey

Diabetes Minimally Mediated the Association Between PM2.5 Air Pollution and Kidney Outcomes

Reframing NCDs? An analysis of current debates

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