268969 Greater pollutant exposure among communities of color

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Angeli Bueno, MPH , UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Ying-Ying Meng, Dr Ph , UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Los Angeles, CA
Melissa Pickett, MPH , 10960 Wilshire Blvd. #1550, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Los Angeles, CA
Background: Due to a long history of social and economic injustice, communities of color have been shown to carry a greater burden of air pollution exposures than whites. As California has one of the most diverse populations in the United States, this study aims to examine if racial/ethnic minorities with asthma or asthma-like symptoms in California have greater exposure to air pollutants using government air monitoring data.

Methods: California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) respondents from 2003 were linked to the government air monitoring station within 5-miles of their residential address using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Annual pollutant averages were calculated from 12-months prior to the CHIS interview. We performed t-tests on exposure estimates to identify disparities across race/ethnicity.

Results: Among respondents with current asthma, NO2 exposure estimates were higher for Latino adults/children, Asian/Pacific Islander/Other (API/Other) adults/children and African American children (p < 0.05) compared to whites. Similarly, PM10 estimates were higher for Latino adults (p < 0.001), and PM2.5 estimates were higher for Latino and African American adults/children (p < 0.05). Among respondents with asthma-like symptoms, NO2 exposure estimates were higher for Latinos adults/children, African American adults/children, and API/Other adults compared to whites (p < 0.05). PM2.and PM10 estimates were higher for Latino adults/children and African American adults than whites (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Communities of color experience a disproportionate burden of air pollution exposures in California. Given the studies that associate pollutant exposures to adverse health outcomes, health policy and community interventions must do more to protect these vulnerable communities from hazardous environmental exposures.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
•Learn whether racial/ethnic minority adults and children have greater pollutant exposure than white adults and children; •Describe the process of linking survey participants’ residential addresses to government air monitoring data; •Discuss study findings and implications for interventions.

Keywords: Air Pollutants, Vulnerable Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a research associate at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. I am currently participating in multiple studies related to air pollution exposure and health disparities. My scientific interests include pediatric and minority health and health disparities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4353.1: *Poster Session*: Chronic disease and environmental public health