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Perception Matters: Perceived vs. Objective Air Quality Measures and Asthma Diagnosis among Urban Adults

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  • Jane E. Clougherty

    (Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA)

  • Pilar Ocampo

    (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA)

Abstract

Urban air pollution is consistently linked to poorer respiratory health, particularly in communities of lower socioeconomic position (SEP), disproportionately located near highways and industrial areas and often with elevated exposures to chronic psychosocial stressors. Fewer studies, however, have considered air pollution itself as a psychosocial stressor and whether pollution may be impacting health through both direct physiologic and psychosocial pathways. We examined data on perceived air pollution exposures from a spatially representative survey of New York City adults through summer and winter 2012 ( n = 1183) using residence-specific ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) exposure estimates. We used logistic regression to compare associations for perceived and objective air quality on self-reported asthma and general health, adjusting for sociodemographics and mental health. In models including all exposure metrics, we found small but significant associations for perceived air quality (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22) but not for NO 2 or PM 2.5 . Neither perceived nor objective pollution was significantly associated with self-reported general health. Results suggest that perceived air quality may be significantly associated with adult asthma, more so than objective air pollution and after adjusting for mental health—associations not observed for self-reported general health.

Suggested Citation

  • Jane E. Clougherty & Pilar Ocampo, 2023. "Perception Matters: Perceived vs. Objective Air Quality Measures and Asthma Diagnosis among Urban Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(17), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:17:p:6648-:d:1225248
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Susan J. Elliott & Donald C. Cole & Paul Krueger & Nancy Voorberg & Sarah Wakefield, 1999. "The Power of Perception: Health Risk Attributed to Air Pollution in anUrban Industrial Neighbourhood," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), pages 621-634, August.
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    3. 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.
    4. Yulin Guo & Fengfeng Liu & Yuanan Lu & Zongfu Mao & Hanson Lu & Yanyan Wu & Yuanyuan Chu & Lichen Yu & Yisi Liu & Meng Ren & Na Li & Xi Chen & Hao Xiang, 2016. "Factors Affecting Parent’s Perception on Air Quality—From the Individual to the Community Level," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, May.
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    6. Elliott, Susan J. & Taylor, S.Martin & Walter, Stephen & Stieb, David & Frank, John & Eyles, John, 1993. "Modelling psychosocial effects of exposure to solid waste facilities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 791-804, September.
    7. Taylor, S.Martin & Elliott, Susan & Eyles, John & Frank, John & Haight, Murray & Streiner, David & Walter, Stephen & White, Norman & Willms, Dennis, 1991. "Psychosocial impacts in populations exposed to solid waste facilities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 441-447, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Astrid N. Zamora & Maria I. Campero & Dulce M. Garcia & Abby C. King, 2024. "Examining Relationships between Perceptions of Air Quality—Objectively Assessed Particulate Matter—And Health-Related Attributions among Midlife and Older Adults from the San Francisco Bay Area, Calif," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(8), pages 1-15, July.

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