Established and Emerging Environmental Contributors to Disparities in Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The objective of this review is to evaluate the evidence supporting a link between disproportionate environmental exposures and these health disparities.Recent FindingsStudies suggest that various co-occurring factors related to the home environment, neighborhood environment, non-modifiable individual factors, and individual behaviors and attributes can increase or modify the risk of adverse respiratory outcomes among socioeconomically disadvantaged and racially/ethnically diverse populations. Pollutants in the home environment, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and pesticides, are elevated among lower socioeconomic status populations and have been implicated in the development or exacerbation of respiratory-related conditions. Neighborhood crime and green space are socioeconomically patterned and linked with asthma outcomes through psychosocial pathways. Non-modifiable individual factors such as genetic predisposition cannot explain environmental health disparities but can increase susceptibility to air pollution and other stressors. Individual behaviors and attributes, including obesity and physical activity, contribute to worse outcomes among those with asthma or COPD.SummaryThe root causes of these multifactorial exposures are complex, but many likely stem from economic forces and racial/ethnic and economic segregation that influence the home environment, neighborhood environment, and access to healthy foods and consumer products. Critical research needs inc...

Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - May 25, 2018 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research