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Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution in Utero as a Risk Factor for Child Stunting in Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Nihit Goyal

    (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 259772, Singapore)

  • David Canning

    (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 259772, Singapore
    Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

Abstract

Pregnant mothers in Bangladesh are exposed to very high and worsening levels of ambient air pollution. Maternal exposure to fine particulate matter has been associated with low birth weight at much lower levels of exposure, leading us to suspect the potentially large effects of air pollution on stunting in children in Bangladesh. We estimate the relationship between exposure to air pollution in utero and child stunting by pooling outcome data from four waves of the nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2004 and 2014, and calculating children’s exposure to ambient fine particulate matter in utero using high resolution satellite data. We find significant increases in the relative risk of child stunting, wasting, and underweight with higher levels of in utero exposure to air pollution, after controlling for other factors that have been found to contribute to child anthropometric failure. We estimate the relative risk of stunting in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of exposure as 1.074 (95% confidence interval: 1.014–1.138), 1.150 (95% confidence interval: 1.069–1.237, and 1.132 (95% confidence interval: 1.031–1.243), respectively. Over half of all children in Bangladesh in our sample were exposed to an annual ambient fine particulate matter level in excess of 46 µg/m 3 ; these children had a relative risk of stunting over 1.13 times that of children in the lowest quartile of exposure. Reducing air pollution in Bangladesh could significantly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing child stunting.

Suggested Citation

  • Nihit Goyal & David Canning, 2017. "Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution in Utero as a Risk Factor for Child Stunting in Bangladesh," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2017:i:1:p:22-:d:124136
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chen Chen & Scott Zeger & Patrick Breysse & Joanne Katz & William Checkley & Frank C Curriero & James M Tielsch, 2016. "Estimating Indoor PM2.5 and CO Concentrations in Households in Southern Nepal: The Nepal Cookstove Intervention Trials," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Pier Mannuccio Mannucci & Massimo Franchini, 2017. "Health Effects of Ambient Air Pollution in Developing Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-8, September.
    3. Sabrina Naz & Andrew Page & Kingsley Emwinyore Agho, 2015. "Household Air Pollution and Under-Five Mortality in Bangladesh (2004–2011)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, October.
    4. Daniel Dunea & Stefania Iordache & Alin Pohoata, 2016. "Fine Particulate Matter in Urban Environments: A Trigger of Respiratory Symptoms in Sensitive Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Balietti, Anca & Datta, Souvik & Veljanoska, Stefanija, 2022. "Air pollution and child development in India," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).

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