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Racial Differences in Perceptions of Air Pollution Health Risk: Does Environmental Exposure Matter?

Author

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  • Jayajit Chakraborty

    (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA)

  • Timothy W. Collins

    (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA)

  • Sara E. Grineski

    (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA)

  • Alejandra Maldonado

    (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA)

Abstract

This article extends environmental risk perception research by exploring how potential health risk from exposure to industrial and vehicular air pollutants, as well as other contextual and socio-demographic factors, influence racial/ethnic differences in air pollution health risk perception. Our study site is the Greater Houston metropolitan area, Texas, USA—a racially/ethnically diverse area facing high levels of exposure to pollutants from both industrial and transportation sources. We integrate primary household-level survey data with estimates of excess cancer risk from ambient exposure to industrial and on-road mobile source emissions of air toxics obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Statistical analysis is based on multivariate generalized estimation equation models which account for geographic clustering of surveyed households. Our results reveal significantly higher risk perceptions for non-Hispanic Black residents and those exposed to greater cancer risk from industrial pollutants, and also indicate that gender influences the relationship between race/ethnicity and air pollution risk perception. These findings highlight the need to incorporate measures of environmental health risk exposure in future analysis of social disparities in risk perception.

Suggested Citation

  • Jayajit Chakraborty & Timothy W. Collins & Sara E. Grineski & Alejandra Maldonado, 2017. "Racial Differences in Perceptions of Air Pollution Health Risk: Does Environmental Exposure Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:2:p:116-:d:88756
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Michel G. Loustaunau & Jayajit Chakraborty, 2019. "Vehicular Air Pollution in Houston, Texas: An Intra-Categorical Analysis of Environmental Injustice," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-16, August.
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    5. Long, Michael A. & Ritchie, Liesel A. & Stretesky, Paul B. & Sibley, Martha, 2024. "Perceptions of social disruption in communities that experienced induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing in Colorado and Oklahoma, USA," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
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    8. Hilary Graham & Alexander Harrison & Pete Lampard, 2022. "Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Its Health Impacts: Taking Account of People’s Exposure to Floods and Air Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-10, February.
    9. Linda Matisāne & Lisbeth E. Knudsen & Joana Lobo Vicente & Maria Uhl & Andromachi Katsonouri & Annick D. van den Brand & Tamar Berman & Mirjana Dimovska & Eleni Anastasi & Anthi Thoma & Szilvia Középe, 2022. "Citizens’ Perception and Concerns on Chemical Exposures and Human Biomonitoring—Results from a Harmonized Qualitative Study in Seven European Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-25, May.
    10. Chia-Lee Yang & Chi-Yo Huang & Yi-Hao Hsiao, 2021. "Using Social Media Mining and PLS-SEM to Examine the Causal Relationship between Public Environmental Concerns and Adaptation Strategies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-23, May.

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