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Concern over health effects of air pollution is associated to NO2 in seven European cities

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Abstract

Subjective perception of air pollution is important and can have impacts on health in its own rights, can lead to protective behaviour, or it can be leveraged to engage citizens and stakeholders in support of cleaner air policies. The aim of the current analysis was to examine associations between level of concern over health effects of air pollution and personal and environmental factors. In seven European cities, 7622 adult participants were recruited to complete an online questionnaire on travel and physical activity behaviour, perceptions and attitudes on active mobility and the environment, and sociodemographics. Air pollution at the home address was determined using Europe-wide PM2.5 and NO2 land use regression models. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to model concern over air pollution (worried versus not worried; city as random effect). Fifty-eight percent of participants were worried over health effects of air pollution with large differences across cities (Antwerp 78%, Barcelona 81%, London 64%, Orebro 11%, Rome 72%, Vienna 43%, Zurich 33%). Linking mean modelled air pollution to mean level of concern per city gave a good correlation for NO2 (r2 = 0.75), and a lower correlation for PM2.5 (r2 = 0.49). In the regression model, sex, having children in the household, levels of physical activity, and NO2 at the home address were significantly linked to individual concern over health effects of air pollution. We found that NO2 but not PM2.5 at the home address was associated with concern over health effects of air pollution.

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Acknowledgements

The authors led the study on behalf of the PASTA consortium funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission (grant agreement 602624). Evi Dons is supported by a postdoctoral scholarship from FWO—Research Foundation Flanders. Michelle Laeremans holds a joint PASTA/VITO PhD scholarship. List of PASTA investigators is as follows: A. Ambros, E. Anaya, I. Avila-Palencia, F. Benvenuti, F. Boschetti, C. Brand, J. Buekers, L. Carniel, G. Carrasco-Turigas, A. Castro, A. Clark, T. Cole-Hunter, A. de Nazelle, E. Dons, U. Eriksson, H. Franzen, M. Gaupp-Berghausen, R. Gerike, R. Girmenia, T. Götschi, F. Hartmann, I. Horvath, F. Iacorossi, L. Int Panis, S. Kahlmeier, M. Laeremans, N. Mueller, M. Nieuwenhuijsen, A. Nilsson, F. Nussio, J.P. Orjuela, F. Racioppi, E. Raser, D. Rojas-Rueda, C. Rothballer, J. Sanchez, R. Schuthof, C. Schweizer, A. Standaert, E. Stigell, N. Tabari, T. Uhlmann, S. Wegener, and V. Zeuschner. Additional files: The full questionnaire of the PASTA longitudinal survey is available from: http://pastaproject.eu/fileadmin/editor-upload/sitecontent/City_survey/PASTA-questionnaires.pdf.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium

    Evi Dons

  2. Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium

    Evi Dons, Michelle Laeremans, Arnout Standaert & Luc Int Panis

  3. Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 5/6, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium

    Michelle Laeremans & Luc Int Panis

  4. Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK

    Esther Anaya-Boig, Audrey de Nazelle & Juan Pablo Orjuela

  5. ISGlobal, C/Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Ione Avila-Palencia & Mark Nieuwenhuijsen

  6. Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), C/Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Ione Avila-Palencia & Mark Nieuwenhuijsen

  7. CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    Ione Avila-Palencia & Mark Nieuwenhuijsen

  8. Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK

    Christian Brand

  9. Institute for Transport Studies, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190, Vienna, Austria

    Mailin Gaupp-Berghausen & Elisabeth Raser

  10. Physical Activity and Health Unit, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Seilergraben 49, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland

    Thomas Götschi

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  1. Evi Dons
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  2. Michelle Laeremans
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Dons, E., Laeremans, M., Anaya-Boig, E. et al. Concern over health effects of air pollution is associated to NO2 in seven European cities. Air Qual Atmos Health 11, 591–599 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-018-0567-3

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