Fine particulate matter and body weight status among older adults in China: Impacts and pathways

Nan Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102571

Fine particulate matter and body weight status among older adults in China: Impacts and pathways

Nan Zhang

Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background: Population ageing and air pollution have become two major public health concerns in China. Longitudinal evidence on the body weight impacts of air pollution among older adults is rare. This study aims to investigate the impacts of ambient particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM _2.5) on weight status of older adults in China and the potential behavioral and metabolic pathways through which PM _2.5 influences weight status. Methods: The longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (body mass index—BMI, n = 9053; waist/height ratio—WHR, n = 9064) were linked to the air pollution data at the city-level with a rural-urban distinction. We used mixed-effects linear models to evaluate the impacts of PM _2.5 on individual weight status and multiple mediation analysis to examine potential pathways. Results: After adjusting for relevant socioeconomic and city-level risk factors, significant and robust positive impacts of PM _2.5 on BMI (0.025, 95%CI: 0.018, 0.031) and WHR*100 (0.058, 95%CI: 0.044, 0.072) were found among older adults in China. The PM _2.5-weight status relationship among older adults may be mediated through metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction pathways particularly HbA1c and C-reactive protein (CRP). As PM _2.5 deteriorates, the detrimental impacts tend to be more severe for rural-urban migrants and rural residents, compared to their urban counterparts. The worsening rural PM _2.5 profiles in some areas, such as the northern parts of the Central and the Eastern, may leave them particularly vulnerable to air pollution air. Conclusions: PM _2.5 has an independent and significant detrimental impact on weight status including BMI and WHR of older adults in China, especially among rural adults and rural-urban migrants. PM _2.5 may affect weight status of older adults through biomarkers such as HbA1c and CRP. More research is needed to confirm our findings.

Original language	English
Article number	102571
Journal	Health & Place
Volume	69
Early online date	19 Apr 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102571
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2021

Keywords

China
Fine particulate matter
Obesity
Old adults
Pathways

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102571

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829221000678?via%3Dihub

The socio-economic dynamics of urbanization in China: Inequalities, child health and development
Zhang, N. (PI) & Chandola, T. (CoI)
17/12/15 → 16/12/17
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{cac034ca6598424fbe338b23f80195ff,

title = "Fine particulate matter and body weight status among older adults in China: Impacts and pathways",

abstract = "Background: Population ageing and air pollution have become two major public health concerns in China. Longitudinal evidence on the body weight impacts of air pollution among older adults is rare. This study aims to investigate the impacts of ambient particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5) on weight status of older adults in China and the potential behavioral and metabolic pathways through which PM 2.5 influences weight status. Methods: The longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (body mass index—BMI, n = 9053; waist/height ratio—WHR, n = 9064) were linked to the air pollution data at the city-level with a rural-urban distinction. We used mixed-effects linear models to evaluate the impacts of PM 2.5 on individual weight status and multiple mediation analysis to examine potential pathways. Results: After adjusting for relevant socioeconomic and city-level risk factors, significant and robust positive impacts of PM 2.5 on BMI (0.025, 95%CI: 0.018, 0.031) and WHR*100 (0.058, 95%CI: 0.044, 0.072) were found among older adults in China. The PM 2.5-weight status relationship among older adults may be mediated through metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction pathways particularly HbA1c and C-reactive protein (CRP). As PM 2.5 deteriorates, the detrimental impacts tend to be more severe for rural-urban migrants and rural residents, compared to their urban counterparts. The worsening rural PM 2.5 profiles in some areas, such as the northern parts of the Central and the Eastern, may leave them particularly vulnerable to air pollution air. Conclusions: PM 2.5 has an independent and significant detrimental impact on weight status including BMI and WHR of older adults in China, especially among rural adults and rural-urban migrants. PM 2.5 may affect weight status of older adults through biomarkers such as HbA1c and CRP. More research is needed to confirm our findings. ",

keywords = "China, Fine particulate matter, Obesity, Old adults, Pathways",

author = "Nan Zhang",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge the team of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We are grateful to all the participants who took part in the survey, and we also acknowledge all the subjects and households that participated in the survey for their cooperation. This study was partly funded by ESRC ( ES/P009824/1 ) and a seedcorn grant from Cathie Marsh Institute , University of Manchester . Funding Information: This study used data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The CHARLS aims to collect biannually a nationally representative sample of Chinese residents aged 45 and over on a wide variety of topics such as demographics, family structure, health, biomarkers, and socio-economic circumstances (Zhao et al., 2014). The baseline national wave of CHARLS was fielded in 2011 and included about 10,000 households and 17,500 individuals across 150 counties/districts and 450 villages/resident committees in 28 provinces. The CHARLS adopts multi-stage stratified probability proportional to scale (PPS) sampling. The respondents were interviewed face-to-face in their homes via the computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) technology. The included information is from three sources (WHO, 2016): a questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews in the sampled household (mbient (outdoor) ai, 2018); a physical examination carried out by trained interviewers in the household and (General Assembly. Tran, 2015) laboratory blood tests after the interview at designated local healthcare institutions. The collection of venous blood, blood processing, initial local analysis of complete blood cell counts, and specimen shipment to Beijing for analyses at a central lab strictly conformed to quality control procedure. The Ethical Review Committee of Peking University granted ethical approval for the study. All the participants provided signed, informed consent at the time of participation. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants.We would like to acknowledge the team of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We are grateful to all the participants who took part in the survey, and we also acknowledge all the subjects and households that participated in the survey for their cooperation. This study was partly funded by ESRC (ES/P009824/1) and a seedcorn grant from Cathie Marsh Institute, University of Manchester. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author(s)",

year = "2021",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102571",

language = "English",

volume = "69",

journal = "Health & Place",

issn = "1353-8292",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Fine particulate matter and body weight status among older adults in China: Impacts and pathways

AU - Zhang, Nan

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge the team of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We are grateful to all the participants who took part in the survey, and we also acknowledge all the subjects and households that participated in the survey for their cooperation. This study was partly funded by ESRC ( ES/P009824/1 ) and a seedcorn grant from Cathie Marsh Institute , University of Manchester . Funding Information: This study used data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The CHARLS aims to collect biannually a nationally representative sample of Chinese residents aged 45 and over on a wide variety of topics such as demographics, family structure, health, biomarkers, and socio-economic circumstances (Zhao et al., 2014). The baseline national wave of CHARLS was fielded in 2011 and included about 10,000 households and 17,500 individuals across 150 counties/districts and 450 villages/resident committees in 28 provinces. The CHARLS adopts multi-stage stratified probability proportional to scale (PPS) sampling. The respondents were interviewed face-to-face in their homes via the computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) technology. The included information is from three sources (WHO, 2016): a questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews in the sampled household (mbient (outdoor) ai, 2018); a physical examination carried out by trained interviewers in the household and (General Assembly. Tran, 2015) laboratory blood tests after the interview at designated local healthcare institutions. The collection of venous blood, blood processing, initial local analysis of complete blood cell counts, and specimen shipment to Beijing for analyses at a central lab strictly conformed to quality control procedure. The Ethical Review Committee of Peking University granted ethical approval for the study. All the participants provided signed, informed consent at the time of participation. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants.We would like to acknowledge the team of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We are grateful to all the participants who took part in the survey, and we also acknowledge all the subjects and households that participated in the survey for their cooperation. This study was partly funded by ESRC (ES/P009824/1) and a seedcorn grant from Cathie Marsh Institute, University of Manchester. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s)

PY - 2021/5/1

Y1 - 2021/5/1

N2 - Background: Population ageing and air pollution have become two major public health concerns in China. Longitudinal evidence on the body weight impacts of air pollution among older adults is rare. This study aims to investigate the impacts of ambient particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5) on weight status of older adults in China and the potential behavioral and metabolic pathways through which PM 2.5 influences weight status. Methods: The longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (body mass index—BMI, n = 9053; waist/height ratio—WHR, n = 9064) were linked to the air pollution data at the city-level with a rural-urban distinction. We used mixed-effects linear models to evaluate the impacts of PM 2.5 on individual weight status and multiple mediation analysis to examine potential pathways. Results: After adjusting for relevant socioeconomic and city-level risk factors, significant and robust positive impacts of PM 2.5 on BMI (0.025, 95%CI: 0.018, 0.031) and WHR*100 (0.058, 95%CI: 0.044, 0.072) were found among older adults in China. The PM 2.5-weight status relationship among older adults may be mediated through metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction pathways particularly HbA1c and C-reactive protein (CRP). As PM 2.5 deteriorates, the detrimental impacts tend to be more severe for rural-urban migrants and rural residents, compared to their urban counterparts. The worsening rural PM 2.5 profiles in some areas, such as the northern parts of the Central and the Eastern, may leave them particularly vulnerable to air pollution air. Conclusions: PM 2.5 has an independent and significant detrimental impact on weight status including BMI and WHR of older adults in China, especially among rural adults and rural-urban migrants. PM 2.5 may affect weight status of older adults through biomarkers such as HbA1c and CRP. More research is needed to confirm our findings.

AB - Background: Population ageing and air pollution have become two major public health concerns in China. Longitudinal evidence on the body weight impacts of air pollution among older adults is rare. This study aims to investigate the impacts of ambient particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5) on weight status of older adults in China and the potential behavioral and metabolic pathways through which PM 2.5 influences weight status. Methods: The longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (body mass index—BMI, n = 9053; waist/height ratio—WHR, n = 9064) were linked to the air pollution data at the city-level with a rural-urban distinction. We used mixed-effects linear models to evaluate the impacts of PM 2.5 on individual weight status and multiple mediation analysis to examine potential pathways. Results: After adjusting for relevant socioeconomic and city-level risk factors, significant and robust positive impacts of PM 2.5 on BMI (0.025, 95%CI: 0.018, 0.031) and WHR*100 (0.058, 95%CI: 0.044, 0.072) were found among older adults in China. The PM 2.5-weight status relationship among older adults may be mediated through metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction pathways particularly HbA1c and C-reactive protein (CRP). As PM 2.5 deteriorates, the detrimental impacts tend to be more severe for rural-urban migrants and rural residents, compared to their urban counterparts. The worsening rural PM 2.5 profiles in some areas, such as the northern parts of the Central and the Eastern, may leave them particularly vulnerable to air pollution air. Conclusions: PM 2.5 has an independent and significant detrimental impact on weight status including BMI and WHR of older adults in China, especially among rural adults and rural-urban migrants. PM 2.5 may affect weight status of older adults through biomarkers such as HbA1c and CRP. More research is needed to confirm our findings.

KW - China

KW - Fine particulate matter

KW - Obesity

KW - Old adults

KW - Pathways

U2 - 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102571

DO - 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102571

M3 - Article

SN - 1353-8292

VL - 69

JO - Health & Place

JF - Health & Place

M1 - 102571

ER -

Fine particulate matter and body weight status among older adults in China: Impacts and pathways

Abstract

Keywords

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

UN SDGs

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Projects

The socio-economic dynamics of urbanization in China: Inequalities, child health and development

Cite this