https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1681-8267
-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
Jennifer Ailshire, Lauren L Brown, The Importance of Air Quality Policy for Older Adults and Diverse Communities, Public Policy & Aging Report, Volume 31, Issue 1, 2021, Pages 33–37, https://doi.org/10.1093/ppar/praa036
Close - Share Icon Share
Extract
Regardless of whether one lives in a rural or urban area, in a city or suburb, pollutants are ubiquitous in the air we breathe. The public health dangers of air pollution exposure are well documented (Sun & Zhu, 2019), and older adults are considered one of the most at-risk populations for adverse health impacts from air pollution (Simoni et al., 2015). Other groups with a disproportionate health burden from air pollution exposure include racial and ethnic minorities and those living in impoverished neighborhoods (Ash & Fetter, 2004). The unequal burden of air pollution may play a key role in racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in the health and aging trajectories of older adults.
In this report, we summarize the research on air pollution and health among older adults, including emerging evidence on the link between air pollution and dementia, and discuss the unequal burden and impact of air pollution within the older population. We also review federal and local policies and approaches to improving air quality, and evaluate the extent to which they address the needs of our diverse, rapidly aging population. We make the case that the adverse impacts of air pollution on older adults specifically should factor more prominently in air quality policy and actions.
