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International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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16-03-2024 | Original Article

Objective and subjective measures of air pollution and self-rated health: the evidence from Chile

Authors: Yenniel Mendoza, Ricardo E. González

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 4/2024

Abstract

Purpose

The literature exploring individual differences in self-rated health has grown fast in recent years. Self-rated health (SRH) is a good indicator of general health status. This empirical study explores the association between outdoor air pollution and SRH in Chile. This type of analysis is infrequent in Latin America.

Methods

We used objective and subjective air pollution measures. The first corresponds to PM_2.5, and the latter to the perception of a high level of air pollution. Drawing on data from two independent and repeated nationwide surveys over the period 2006–2017 at the individual level in Chile, we performed repeated cross-sectional analyses for each year of survey application. Ordered Logit (OL) and Logit (L) multivariate models were used to investigate the association between SRH and air pollution measures, considering other socioeconomic and demographic covariates.

Results

We found that the higher is the level of air pollution, the lower the SRH in Chile, regardless of whether air pollution is physically measured or perceived by respondents. The results were consistent over the years in the sign and significance of regression coefficients using two surveys and two forms of the outcome variable.

Conclusions

Our findings add evidence that air pollution is a relevant determinant of SRH. In addition, they show that subjective measures of air pollution can be as reliable as physical measures in the analysis of the association between air pollution and human health.

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Title: Objective and subjective measures of air pollution and self-rated health: the evidence from Chile
Authors: Yenniel Mendoza
Ricardo E. González
Publication date: 16-03-2024
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 4/2024
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-024-02056-0

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Objective and subjective measures of air pollution and self-rated health: the evidence from Chile

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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