Researchers estimate that around 730,000 elderly Americans lose their ability to live independently due to air pollution every year.
Reducing air pollution can help older people live independently for longer, according to a study from the University of Michigan, USA. The results suggest that higher levels of traffic-related air pollutants are associated with the need for care and decreased ability to live independently.
The researchers began by analyzing the lives of 25,314 elderly people in the USA between 1996 and 2016. Each person lived independently at the start of the study and was interviewed every two years. After an average of nine years, 40% of those interviewed needed help at home due to health or memory problems, or even had to move into a nursing home.
“Air pollution is associated with poorer health – more lung disease, more heart disease, shorter life expectancy and a greater likelihood of dementia. Knowing that air pollution increases the risk of health problems as we get older, we wondered if exposures could also have an impact on how people can look after themselves in old age,” is explained to The Guardian by Dr. Boya Zhang, one of the authors of the study.
The transition from a situation of independence to a situation of needing care was related to local air pollution levels over the previous 10 years, especially in people over the age of 75. This relationship was most evident for particulate pollution from transport and nitrogen dioxide.
The researchers estimate that every year 729,727 people lose their ability to live independently due to long-term exposure to traffic pollution in the USA.
“Given that the annual cost of receiving help for loss of independence was 16,028 dollars per person, we estimated that the total cost of individuals who have recently lost their independence due to exposure to traffic-related air pollution was 11.7 billion dollars per year,” says the study.
For Dr. Sara Adar, who led the study, the results prove “that the damage caused to our bodies by air pollution can alter our ability to take care of ourselves as older adults. Taking action against air pollution will not only improve the quality of life of the elderly, but also reduce the healthcare burden on society. This research supports the recent lowering of the US national ambient air quality standard for particulate matter,” she told The Guardian.
Indoor pollution
A study carried out in China focused its research on air pollution inside homes and found evidence that pollution from domestic heating is a risk factor for functional decline.
The researchers concluded that the switch from clean energy to fuel heating (by burning coal, wood or crop waste) led to an increased risk of needing care, such as help with bathing, dressing, shopping, managing money and taking medication. However, the increase in the inability to carry out the activities of daily living was not seen in respondents with a privileged education.
She might have chosen to study Meteorology and Oceanography, but ultimately pursued Communication. And that's fine because if they don't get their weather predictions right, she wouldn't be the one to change that. She started by looking for sustainable ideas and projects for the university, and since then, she has never stopped (who stops, really?). She loves to watch tv shows, but she watches few because she is demanding. You don't need much to convince her to embrace new, "greener" habits and challenges.
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