Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Impacts of household air pollution on cognitive impairment: evidence from China

  • Published:
Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is now a major concern in public health in many countries. Previous studies have found that ambient air pollution can cause great damage to cognitive function among older adults. However, the impact of household air pollution (HAP) on cognitive function is not well elaborated. In this study, we used a nationally representative longitudinal survey for middle-aged and older individuals in China, combined with a propensity score matching method, we found that HAP has a significant adverse effect on the cognitive functions among the middle-aged and older Chinese individuals. The heterogeneity analysis also indicated that the associations are generally higher in females, individuals aged 60 years or older, and individuals who lived in the urban area. Our findings suggest that switching the type of household fuel may be of great public health value for the prevention of cognitive impairment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Notes

  1. CHARLS datasets can be accessed through its official website (http://charls.pku.edu.cn/).

  2. Datasets of PM2.5 are available at http://fizz.phys.dal.ca/~atmos/martin/?page_id=140.

  3. China Meteorological Data Service Center. http://data.cma.cn/en.

  4. One problem with propensity score matching method is that the selection of the matched sample is based on propensity scores which are estimated, not known, thus the matching scheme is an estimate as well.

  5. Above all, in the case of a limited sample, accuracy and scientific validity of the experimental results remains robust in that PSM method can always help find paired control groups to generate a causal inference between HAP and cognitive impairment.

  6. For age, Group 1 means age < 60, Group 2 means age ≥ 60; For gender, Group 1 means male and Group2 means female; For residence, Group 1 means rural while Group 2 means urban.

  7. For brevity, we only show the results using global cognition, results of the other two cognitive remain robust.

References

  • Abadie A, Imbens G (2016) Matching on the estimated propensity score. Econometrica 84(2):781–807

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ao CK, Dong Y, Kuo PF (2021) Industrialization, indoor and ambient air quality, and elderly mental health. China Econ Rev 69:101676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arevalo-Rodriguez I, Smailagic N, Figuls MRI, Ciapponi A, Sanchez-Perez E, Giannakou A, Pedraza OL, Cosp XB, Cullum S (2015) Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 3:CD010783. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010783.pub2

  • Astell-Burt T, Feng X (2020) Greener neighborhoods, better memory? A longitudinal study. Health Place 65:102393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker SO, Ichino A (2002) Estimation of average treatment effects based on propensity scores. Stand Genomic Sci 2(4):358–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Beverland IJ et al (2012) A comparison of short-term and long-term air pollution exposure associations with mortality in two cohorts in Scotland. Environ Health Perspect 120(9):1280–1285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Block ML, Calderón-Garcidueñas L (2009) Air pollution: mechanisms of neuroinflammation and CNS disease. Trends Neurosci 32(9):506–516

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caliendo M, Kopeinig S (2008) Some practical guidance for the implementation of propensity score matching. J Econ Surv 22(1):31–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao L, Zhao Z, Ji C, Xia Y (2021) Association between solid fuel use and cognitive impairment: a cross-sectional and follow-up study in a middle-aged and older Chinese population. Environ Int 146:106251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao L, Zhai D, Kuang M, Xia Y (2022) Indoor air pollution and frailty: a cross-sectional and follow-up study among older Chinese adults. Environ Res 204:112006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) Cognitive impairment: the impact on health in lowa. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/cognitive_impairment/cogImp_ia_final.pdf

  • Chen H, Chen L, Hao G (2021) Sex difference in the association between solid fuel use and cognitive function in rural China. Environ Res 195:110820

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dehejia RH, Wahba S (2002) Propensity Score-matching methods for nonexperimental causal studies. Rev Econ Stat 84(1):151–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng Y et al (2020) Association between biomass fuel use and risk of hypertension among Chinese older people: a cohort study. Environ Int 138:105620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng Y, Zhao H, Liu Y, Liu H, Shi J, Zhao C, He M (2022) Association of using biomass fuel for cooking with depression and anxiety symptoms in older Chinese adults. Sci Total Environ 811:152256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dijkema MB, Mallant SF, Gehring U et al (2011) Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and type 2 diabetes prevalence in a cross-sectional screening-study in the Netherlands. Environ Health 10:76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Du B, Tandoc MC, Mack ML, Siegel JA (2020) Indoor CO2 concentrations and cognitive function: a critical review. Indoor Air 30(6):1067–1082

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Efron B, Tibshirani RJ (1994) An introduction to the Bootstrap. CRC Press

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fang EF, Scheibye-Knudsen M et al (2015) A research agenda for aging in China in the 21st century. Ageing Res Rev 24:197–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao H, Shi J, Cheng H, Zhang Y, Zhang Y (2021) The impact of long- and short-term exposure to different ambient air pollutants on cognitive function in China. Environ Int 151:106416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graff Zivin J, Hsiang SM, Neidell M (2018) Temperature and human capital in the short and long run. J Assoc Environ Resour Econ 5(1):77–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham JE, Rockwood K, Beattie BL, Eastwood R, Gauthier S, Tuokko H, McDowell I (1997) Prevalence and severity of cognitive impairment with and without dementia in an elderly population. Lancet 349(9068):1793–1796

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He K et al (2021) Characteristics of indoor and personal exposure to particulate organic compounds emitted from domestic solid fuel combustion in rural areas of northwest China. Atmos Res 248:105181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz JL (2001) The bootstrap. Handbook of Econometrics, Elsevier 5:3159–3228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin XY, Wang YL, Wu YD, Liang YF, Li YX et al (2022) The increased medical burden associated with frailty is partly attributable to household solid fuel: a nationwide prospective study of middle-aged and older people in China. Sci Total Environ 858:159829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiuchiuan C, Joel S (2009) Neurobehavioral effects of ambient air pollution on cognitive performance in us adults. Neurotoxicology 30(2):231–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kay DWK (1995) The epidemiology of age-related neurological disease and dementia. Rev Clin Gerontol 5(1):39–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keller MC et al (2005) A warm heart and a clear head: the contigent effects of weather on mood and cognition. Psychol Sci 16(9):724–731

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinney PL, Chillrud SN, Ramstrom S, Ross J, Spengler JD (2002) Exposures to multiple air toxics in New York City. Environ Health Perspect 110(suppl4):539–546

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnamoorthy Y, Sarveswaran G, Sivaranjini K, Sakthivel MG, Kumar SG (2018) Association between indoor air pollution and cognitive impairment among adults in rural Puducherry, South India. J Neurosci Rural Pract 9(04):529–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Künn S, Palacios J, Pestel N (2019) Indoor air quality and cognitive performance. IZA Discussion Papers

  • Lei X, Liu H (2018) Gender difference in the impact of retirement on cognitive abilities: evidence from urban China. J Comp Econ 46(4):1425–1446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Zhou Y, Ding L (2021) Effects of long-term household air pollution exposure from solid fuel use on depression: evidence from national longitudinal surveys from 2011 to 2018. Environ Pollut 283:117350

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lim SS et al (2012) A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990–2010: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2010. The Lancet 380(9859):2224–2260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ljungman PL et al (2018) Long- and short-term air pollution exposure and measures of arterial sitffness in the Framingham Heart Study. Environ int 121:139–147

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y, Zhang L, Pan X (2019) Neighborhood environments and cognitive decline among middle-aged and older people in China. J Gerontol: Soc Sci 74(7):e60–e71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y, Zhong Y, Pang L, Zhao Y, Liang R, Zheng X (2021) The effects of indoor air pollution from solid fuel use on cognitive function among middle-aged and older population in China. Sci Total Environ 754:142460

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Midouhas E, Kokosi T, Flouri E (2018) Outdoor and indoor air quality and cognitive ability in young children. Environ Res 161:321–328

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mills N, Donaldson K, Hadoke P et al (2009) Adverse cardiovascular effects of air pollution. Nat Rev Cardiol 6:36–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nie P, Sousa-Poze A, Xue J (2016) Fuel for life: domestic cooking fuels and women’s health in rural China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 13(8):810

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan PL, Zhu L, Yu TT, Yu TT, Zhang B et al (2017) Aberrant spontaneous low-frequency brain activity in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis of resting-state fMRI studies. Ageing Research Reviews 35:12–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park HL, O’Connell JE, Thomson RG (2003) A systematic review of cognitive decline in the general elderly population. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 18(12):1121–1134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin T, Yan M, Fu Z, Song Y, Lu W, Fu A et al (2019) Association between anemia and cognitive decline among Chinese middle-aged and elderly: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study. BMC Geriatr 19(1):305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu Y, Yang FA, Lai W (2019) The impact of indoor air pollution on health outcomes and cognitive abilities: empirical evidence from China. Popul Environ 40(4):388–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie K, Touchon J (2000) Mild cognitive impairment: conceptual basis and current nosological status. The Lancet 355(9199):225–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum PR, Rubin DB (1983) The central role of the propensity score in observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika 70(1):41–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin DB (2001) Using propensity scores to help design observational studies: application to the tobacco litigation. Health Serv Outcomes Res Method 2(3):169–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rückerl R, Schneider A, Breitner S, Cyrys J, Peters A (2011) Health effects of particulate air pollution: a review of epidemiological evidence. Inhalation Toxicol 23(10):555–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saenz JL, Wong R, Aishire JA (2018) Indoor air pollution and cognitive function among olde Mexican adults. J Epidemiol Community Health 72(1):21–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shetty BSP, D’Souza G, Padukudru Anand M (2021) Effect of indoor air pollution on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deaths in Southern Africa—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Toxics 9(4):85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith JP, McArdle JJ, Willis R (2010) Financial decision making and cognition in a family context. Econ J 120(548):F363–F380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tallon LA et al (2017) Cognitive impacts of ambient air pollution in the national social health and aging Project (NSHAP) cohort. Environ Int 104:102–109

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vert C, Sanchez-Benavides G, Martinez D, Gotsens X, Gramunt N (2017) Effect of long-term exposure to air pollution on anxiety and depression in adults: a cross-sectional study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 220(6):1074–1080

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walker MP (2009) The Role of Sleep in Cognition and Emotion. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1156:168–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Wang Z, Zhao X, Huang N, Duan XL, Jiang Y, Wang LM (2014) Investigation on indoor and outdoor time of Chinese adults. J Evniron Health 31(11):945–948

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehrens R, Putter H, Buydens L (2000) The bootstrap: a tutorial. Chemom Intell Lab Syst 54(1):35–52

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (2019) https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1.

  • Yao Y, Lu T, Liu Y, Qin Q, Jiang J, Xiang H (2022) Association of depressive symptoms with ambient PM2. 5 in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study wave 4. Environ Res 203:111889

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Zhang X, Chen X (2017) Happiness in the air: how does a dirty sky affect mental health and subjective well-being? J Environ Econ Manag 85:81–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Fan Y, Yu W, Wang H, Zhao F, Tao H, Fu Z (2021) Investigation of indoor air quality and staff satiftication in underground buildings in Xi’an, China. Polish J Environ Stud 30(4):3365–3373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y (2020) China health and retirement longitudinal study wave 4 user’s guide. Peking University, National School of Development

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We also would like to thank the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and corrections on the earlier draft of our paper, upon which we have improved the content.

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (72174195, 71804182).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Wenwen Wang, Qi Yao & Ming Zhang

Authors
  1. Wenwen Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qi Yao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ming Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by [Wenwen Wang], [Qi Yao], and [Ming Zhang]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [Qi Yao] and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Wenwen Wang or Ming Zhang.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 310 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, W., Yao, Q. & Zhang, M. Impacts of household air pollution on cognitive impairment: evidence from China. Air Qual Atmos Health 16, 1065–1078 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-023-01325-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-023-01325-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation