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Madrigal JM, Flory A, Fisher JA, Sharp E, Graubard BI, Ward MH, Jones RR. Sociodemographic inequities in the burden of carcinogenic industrial air emissions in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst 2024; 116:737-744. [PMID: 38180898 PMCID: PMC11077313 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Industrial facilities are not located uniformly across communities in the United States, but how the burden of exposure to carcinogenic air emissions may vary across population characteristics is unclear. We evaluated differences in carcinogenic industrial pollution among major sociodemographic groups in the United States and Puerto Rico. METHODS We evaluated cross-sectional associations of population characteristics including race and ethnicity, educational attainment, and poverty at the census tract level with point-source industrial emissions of 21 known human carcinogens using regulatory data from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals comparing the highest emissions (tertile or quintile) to the referent group (zero emissions [ie, nonexposed]) for all sociodemographic characteristics were estimated using multinomial, population density-adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS In 2018, approximately 7.4 million people lived in census tracts with nearly 12 million pounds of carcinogenic air releases. The odds of tracts having the greatest burden of benzene, 1,3-butadiene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and nickel emissions compared with nonexposed were 10%-20% higher for African American populations, whereas White populations were up to 18% less likely to live in tracts with the highest emissions. Among Hispanic and Latino populations, odds were 16%-21% higher for benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and ethylene oxide. Populations experiencing poverty or with less than high school education were associated with up to 51% higher burden, irrespective of race and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS Carcinogenic industrial emissions disproportionately impact African American and Hispanic and Latino populations and people with limited education or experiencing poverty thus representing a source of pollution that may contribute to observed cancer disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Madrigal
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Jared A Fisher
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth Sharp
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Barry I Graubard
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Mary H Ward
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Rena R Jones
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
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Johnson CR, Liao CI, Tian C, Richardson MT, Duong K, Tran N, Winkler SS, Kapp DS, Darcy K, Chan JK. Uterine cancer among Asian Americans - Disparities & clinical characteristics. Gynecol Oncol 2024; 182:24-31. [PMID: 38246043 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the patterns and trends of uterine cancer among Asian subgroups living in the U.S. METHODS Data were obtained from United States Cancer Statistics (2001-2017), National Cancer Database (2004-2015), and World Population Review (2023). SEER*Stat version 8.3.9.2, Joinpoint regression program 4.9.0.0, and SAS v 9.4 were employed for statistical analysis. RESULTS Based on data from 778,891 women in the United States Cancer Statistics database, Asians had a 3.4-fold higher rate of incident uterine cancer compared to White populations (2.14% vs. 0.63%; p < 0.001). Using the National Cancer Database, 7,641 Asian women from six subgroups were analyzed: Filipino, Korean, Indian/Pakistani, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese. Indian and Pakistani women had the greatest increase in the proportion of cancer diagnoses (5.0% to 14.4%; p = 0.0003). Additionally, Indian and Pakistani patients had higher comorbidity scores while Koreans had the lowest (22.7% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.0001). Regarding stage of disease, 25.3% of Filipinos presented with advanced stage disease compared to 19.2% of Indians and Pakistanis (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, Filipinos had the highest proportion of non-endometrioid cancers at 18.4% compared to other subgroups (p = 0.0003). Using the World Population Review, female obesity was highest in Pakistan (8.6%) and the Philippines (7.5%) and lowest in Vietnam (2.6%). CONCLUSION Uterine cancer incidence increased at higher rates among Asians compared to White populations. Specifically, Indian and Pakistani uterine cancer patients were more likely to have higher comorbidity rates and Filipino patients had more advanced stage cancer with non-endometrioid histologies than other Asian subgroups. Further research is warranted to better understand these trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin R Johnson
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, 1100 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA.
| | - Cheng-I Liao
- Pingtung Veterans General Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Chunqiao Tian
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence Program, Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael T Richardson
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 757 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kim Duong
- Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, 309 E 2nd St, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
| | - Nathan Tran
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, 1100 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
| | - Stuart S Winkler
- Brooke Army Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3551 Roger Brooke Dr., Fort Sam Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Daniel S Kapp
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, 875 Blake Wilbur Dr, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Kathleen Darcy
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence Program, Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John K Chan
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, 1100 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
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3
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Martenies SE, Zhang M, Corrigan AE, Kvit A, Shields T, Wheaton W, Around Him D, Aschner J, Talavera-Barber MM, Barrett ES, Bastain TM, Bendixsen C, Breton CV, Bush NR, Cacho F, Camargo CA, Carroll KN, Carter BS, Cassidy-Bushrow AE, Cowell W, Croen LA, Dabelea D, Duarte CS, Dunlop AL, Everson TM, Habre R, Hartert TV, Helderman JB, Hipwell AE, Karagas MR, Lester BM, LeWinn KZ, Magzamen S, Morello-Frosch R, O’Connor TG, Padula AM, Petriello M, Sathyanarayana S, Stanford JB, Woodruff TJ, Wright RJ, Kress AM. Developing a National-Scale Exposure Index for Combined Environmental Hazards and Social Stressors and Applications to the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6339. [PMID: 37510572 PMCID: PMC10379099 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20146339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Tools for assessing multiple exposures across several domains (e.g., physical, chemical, and social) are of growing importance in social and environmental epidemiology because of their value in uncovering disparities and their impact on health outcomes. Here we describe work done within the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)-wide Cohort Study to build a combined exposure index. Our index considered both environmental hazards and social stressors simultaneously with national coverage for a 10-year period. Our goal was to build this index and demonstrate its utility for assessing differences in exposure for pregnancies enrolled in the ECHO-wide Cohort Study. Our unitless combined exposure index, which collapses census-tract level data into a single relative measure of exposure ranging from 0-1 (where higher values indicate higher exposure to hazards), includes indicators for major air pollutants and air toxics, features of the built environment, traffic exposures, and social determinants of health (e.g., lower educational attainment) drawn from existing data sources. We observed temporal and geographic variations in index values, with exposures being highest among participants living in the West and Northeast regions. Pregnant people who identified as Black or Hispanic (of any race) were at higher risk of living in a "high" exposure census tract (defined as an index value above 0.5) relative to those who identified as White or non-Hispanic. Index values were also higher for pregnant people with lower educational attainment. Several recommendations follow from our work, including that environmental and social stressor datasets with higher spatial and temporal resolutions are needed to ensure index-based tools fully capture the total environmental context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena E. Martenies
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mingyu Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Anne E. Corrigan
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Anton Kvit
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Timothy Shields
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - William Wheaton
- Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | | | - Judy Aschner
- Department of Pediatrics, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | | | - Emily S. Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Theresa M. Bastain
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | | | - Carrie V. Breton
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Nicole R. Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ferdinand Cacho
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Carlos A. Camargo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kecia N. Carroll
- Department of Pediatrics, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Brian S. Carter
- Department of Pediatrics-Neonatology, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | | | - Whitney Cowell
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lisa A. Croen
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA 94612, USA;
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Cristiane S. Duarte
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anne L. Dunlop
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Rima Habre
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Tina V. Hartert
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Jennifer B. Helderman
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Alison E. Hipwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
| | - Barry M. Lester
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Kaja Z. LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management and School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Thomas G. O’Connor
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 41642, USA
| | - Amy M. Padula
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Michael Petriello
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Joseph B. Stanford
- Department of Pediatrics, Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Tracey J. Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Amii M. Kress
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Larsen K, Rydz E, Peters CE. Inequalities in Environmental Cancer Risk and Carcinogen Exposures: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20095718. [PMID: 37174236 PMCID: PMC10178444 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20095718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada and a major cause of death worldwide. Environmental exposure to carcinogens and environments that may relate to health behaviors are important to examine as they can be modified to lower cancer risks. Built environments include aspects such as transit infrastructure, greenspace, food and tobacco environments, or land use, which may impact how people move, exercise, eat, and live. While environments may play a role in overall cancer risk, exposure to carcinogens or healthier environments is not equitably spread across space. Exposures to carcinogens commonly concentrate among socially and/or economically disadvantaged populations. While many studies have examined inequalities in exposure or cancer risk, this has commonly been for one exposure. Methods: This scoping review collected and synthesized research that examines inequities in carcinogenic environments and exposures. Results: This scoping review found that neighborhoods with higher proportions of low-income residents, racialized people, or same-sex couples had higher exposures to carcinogens and environments that may influence cancer risk. There are currently four main themes in research studying inequitable exposures: air pollution and hazardous substances, tobacco access, food access, and other aspects of the built environment, with most research still focusing on air pollution. Conclusions: More work is needed to understand how exposures to these four areas intersect with other factors to reduce inequities in exposures to support longer-term goals toward cancer prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Larsen
- Health Canada, Office of Environmental Health, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Environmental and Radiation Health Science Directorate, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada
- CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Ela Rydz
- CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Cheryl E Peters
- CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
- Prevention, Screening and Hereditary Cancer, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, Canada
- Population and Public Health, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4R4, Canada
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5
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Alvarez CH, Calasanti A, Evans CR, Ard K. Intersectional inequalities in industrial air toxics exposure in the United States. Health Place 2022; 77:102886. [PMID: 36001937 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Environmental justice and health research demonstrate unequal exposure to environmental hazards at the neighborhood-level. We use an innovative method-eco-intersectional multilevel (EIM) modeling-to assess intersectional inequalities in industrial air toxics exposure across US census tracts in 2014. Results reveal stark inequalities in exposure across analytic strata, with a 45-fold difference in average exposure between most and least exposed. Low SES, multiply marginalized (high % Black, high % female-headed households) urban communities experienced highest risk. These inequalities were not described by additive effects alone, necessitating the use of interaction terms. We advance a critical intersectional approach to evaluating environmental injustices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila H Alvarez
- Department of Sociology, University of California-Merced, 5200 N. Lake Rd., Merced, CA, 95343, USA.
| | - Anna Calasanti
- Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame, 1010 Jenkins Nanovic Halls, Notre Dame, IN, 46556-5677, USA.
| | - Clare Rosenfeld Evans
- Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, 1291 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1291, USA
| | - Kerry Ard
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, 134 Williams Hall, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
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6
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Martenies SE, Zhang M, Corrigan AE, Kvit A, Shields T, Wheaton W, Bastain TM, Breton CV, Dabelea D, Habre R, Magzamen S, Padula AM, Him DA, Camargo CA, Cowell W, Croen LA, Deoni S, Everson TM, Hartert TV, Hipwell AE, McEvoy CT, Morello-Frosch R, O'Connor TG, Petriello M, Sathyanarayana S, Stanford JB, Woodruff TJ, Wright RJ, Kress AM. Associations between combined exposure to environmental hazards and social stressors at the neighborhood level and individual perinatal outcomes in the ECHO-wide cohort. Health Place 2022; 76:102858. [PMID: 35872389 PMCID: PMC9661655 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Limited studies examine how prenatal environmental and social exposures jointly impact perinatal health. Here we investigated relationships between a neighborhood-level combined exposure (CE) index assessed during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, including birthweight, gestational age, and preterm birth. Across all participants, higher CE index scores were associated with small decreases in birthweight and gestational age. We also observed effect modification by race; infants born to Black pregnant people had a greater risk of preterm birth for higher CE values compared to White infants. Overall, our results suggest that neighborhood social and environmental exposures have a small but measurable joint effect on neonatal indicators of health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dana Dabelea
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lisa A Croen
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, USA
| | | | - Todd M Everson
- Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Michael Petriello
- Wayne State University, Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, USA
| | | | - Joseph B Stanford
- University of Utah, Departments of Family and Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics, USA
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7
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Payne-Sturges DC, Puett R, Cory-Slechta DA. Both parents matter: a national-scale analysis of parental race/ethnicity, disparities in prenatal PM 2.5 exposures and related impacts on birth outcomes. Environ Health 2022; 21:47. [PMID: 35513869 PMCID: PMC9074320 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00856-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most U.S. studies that report racial/ethnic disparities in increased risk of low birth weight associated with air pollution exposures have been conducted in California or northeastern states and/or urban areas, limiting generalizability of study results. Few of these studies have examined maternal racial/ethnic groups other than Non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White and Hispanic, nor have they included paternal race. We aimed to examine the independent effects of PM2.5 on birth weight among a nationally representative sample of U.S. singleton infants and how both maternal and paternal race/ethnicity modify relationships between prenatal PM2.5 exposures and birth outcomes. METHODS We used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a longitudinal nationally representative cohort of 10,700 U.S. children born in 2001, which we linked to U.S.EPA's Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ)-derived predicted daily PM2.5 concentrations at the centroid of each Census Bureau Zip Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) for maternal residences. We examined relationships between term birthweight (TBW), term low birthweight rate (TLBW) and gestational PM2.5 pollutant using multivariate regression models. Effect modification of air pollution exposures on birth outcomes by maternal and paternal race was evaluated using stratified models. All analyses were conducted with sample weights to provide national-scale estimates. RESULTS The majority of mothers were White (61%). Fourteen percent of mothers identified as Black, 21% as Hispanic, 3% Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and 1% American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN). Fathers were also racially/ethnically diverse with 55% identified as White Non-Hispanic, 10% as Black Non-Hispanic, 19% as Hispanic, 3% as AAPI and 1% as AIAN. Results from the chi-square and ANOVA tests of significance for racial/ethnic differences indicate disparities in prenatal exposures and birth outcomes by both maternal and paternal race/ethnicity. Prenatal PM2.5 was associated with reduced birthweights during second and third trimester and over the entire gestational period in adjusted regression models, although results did not reach statistical significance. In models stratified by maternal race and paternal race, one unit increase in PM2.5 was statistically significantly associated with lower birthweights among AAPI mothers, -5.6 g (95% CI:-10.3, -1.0 g) and AAPI fathers, -7.6 g (95% CI: -13.1, -2.1 g) during 3rd trimester and among births where father's race was not reported, -14.2 g (95% CI: -24.0, -4.4 g). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that paternal characteristics should be used, in addition to maternal characteristics, to describe the risks of adverse birth outcomes. Additionally, our study suggests that serious consideration should be given to investigating environmental and social mechanisms, such as air pollution exposures, as potential contributors to disparities in birth outcomes among AAPI populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon C Payne-Sturges
- School of Public Health, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland, 255 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - Robin Puett
- School of Public Health, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland, 255 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
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8
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Mullen C, Flores A, Grineski S, Collins T. Exploring the distributional environmental justice implications of an air quality monitoring network in Los Angeles County. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 206:112612. [PMID: 34953883 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Non-governmental air quality monitoring networks include low-cost, networked air pollution sensors hosted at homes and schools that display real-time pollutant concentration estimates on publicly accessible websites. Such networks can empower people to take health-protective actions, but their unplanned organization may produce an uneven spatial distribution of sensors. Barriers to acquiring sensors may disenfranchise particular social groups. To test this directly, we quantitatively examine if there are social inequalities in the distribution of sensors in a non-governmental air quality monitoring network (PurpleAir) in Los Angeles County, California. We paired sociodemographic data from the American Community Survey and estimates of PM2.5 concentrations from the USEPA's Downscaler model at the census tract level (n = 2203) with a sensors per capita (SPC) variable, which is based on population proximity to PurpleAir sensors (n = 696) in Los Angeles County. Findings from multivariable generalized estimating equations (GEEs) controlling for clustering by housing age and value reveal patterns of environmental injustice in the distribution of PurpleAir sensors across Los Angeles County census tracts. Tracts with higher percentages of Hispanic/Latino/a and Black residents and lower median household income had decreased SPC. There was a curvilinear (concave) relationship between the percentage of renter-occupants and SPC. Sensors were concentrated in tracts with greater percentages of adults and seniors (vs. children), higher occupied housing density, and higher PM2.5 pollution. Results reveal social inequalities in the self-organizing PurpleAir network, suggesting another layer of environmental injustice such that residents of low-income and minority neighborhoods have reduced access to information about local air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey Mullen
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E, Rm. 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States.
| | - Aaron Flores
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, 260 Central Campus Dr., Rm. 4625, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States
| | - Sara Grineski
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E, Rm. 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States
| | - Timothy Collins
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, 260 Central Campus Dr., Rm. 4625, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States
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9
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Kanaya AM, Hsing AW, Panapasa SV, Kandula NR, Araneta MRG, Shimbo D, Wang P, Gomez SL, Lee J, Narayan KMV, Mau MKLM, Bose S, Daviglus ML, Hu FB, Islam N, Jackson CL, Kataoka-Yahiro M, Kauwe JSK, Liu S, Ma GX, Nguyen T, Palaniappan L, Setiawan VW, Trinh-Shevrin C, Tsoh JY, Vaidya D, Vickrey B, Wang TJ, Wong ND, Coady S, Hong Y. Knowledge Gaps, Challenges, and Opportunities in Health and Prevention Research for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: A Report From the 2021 National Institutes of Health Workshop. Ann Intern Med 2022; 175:574-589. [PMID: 34978851 PMCID: PMC9018596 DOI: 10.7326/m21-3729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Asian Americans (AsA), Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) comprise 7.7% of the U.S. population, and AsA have had the fastest growth rate since 2010. Yet the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has invested only 0.17% of its budget on AsA and NHPI research between 1992 and 2018. More than 40 ethnic subgroups are included within AsA and NHPI (with no majority subpopulation), which are highly diverse culturally, demographically, linguistically, and socioeconomically. However, data for these groups are often aggregated, masking critical health disparities and their drivers. To address these issues, in March 2021, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in partnership with 8 other NIH institutes, convened a multidisciplinary workshop to review current research, knowledge gaps, opportunities, barriers, and approaches for prevention research for AsA and NHPI populations. The workshop covered 5 domains: 1) sociocultural, environmental, psychological health, and lifestyle dimensions; 2) metabolic disorders; 3) cardiovascular and lung diseases; 4) cancer; and 5) cognitive function and healthy aging. Two recurring themes emerged: Very limited data on the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes for most conditions are available, and most existing data are not disaggregated by subgroup, masking variation in risk factors, disease occurrence, and trajectories. Leveraging the vast phenotypic differences among AsA and NHPI groups was identified as a key opportunity to yield novel clues into etiologic and prognostic factors to inform prevention efforts and intervention strategies. Promising approaches for future research include developing collaborations with community partners, investing in infrastructure support for cohort studies, enhancing existing data sources to enable data disaggregation, and incorporating novel technology for objective measurement. Research on AsA and NHPI subgroups is urgently needed to eliminate disparities and promote health equity in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alka M Kanaya
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.M.K., S.L.G., T.N., J.Y.T.)
| | - Ann W Hsing
- Stanford University, Stanford, California (A.W.H., P.W., L.P.)
| | | | | | | | - Daichi Shimbo
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York (D.S.)
| | - Paul Wang
- Stanford University, Stanford, California (A.W.H., P.W., L.P.)
| | - Scarlett L Gomez
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.M.K., S.L.G., T.N., J.Y.T.)
| | - Jinkook Lee
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (J.L., V.W.S.)
| | | | | | - Sonali Bose
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (S.B., B.V.)
| | | | - Frank B Hu
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (F.B.H.)
| | - Nadia Islam
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York (N.I., C.T.)
| | - Chandra L Jackson
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (C.L.J.)
| | | | | | - Simin Liu
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (S.L.)
| | - Grace X Ma
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (G.X.M.)
| | - Tung Nguyen
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.M.K., S.L.G., T.N., J.Y.T.)
| | | | - V Wendy Setiawan
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California (J.L., V.W.S.)
| | - Chau Trinh-Shevrin
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York (N.I., C.T.)
| | - Janice Y Tsoh
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (A.M.K., S.L.G., T.N., J.Y.T.)
| | | | - Barbara Vickrey
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (S.B., B.V.)
| | - Thomas J Wang
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (T.J.W.)
| | - Nathan D Wong
- University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California (N.D.W.)
| | - Sean Coady
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (S.C., Y.H.)
| | - Yuling Hong
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (S.C., Y.H.)
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10
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Collins TW, Grineski SE, Morales DX. We Need Environmental Health Justice Research and Action for LGBTQ+ People. Am J Public Health 2022; 112:54-56. [PMID: 34936425 PMCID: PMC8713633 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2021.306477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy W Collins
- Timothy W. Collins and Sara E. Grineski are with the Center for Natural and Technological Hazards, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Timothy W. Collins is also with the Department of Geography, University of Utah. Sara E. Grineski is also with the Department of Sociology, University of Utah. Danielle X. Morales is with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso
| | - Sara E Grineski
- Timothy W. Collins and Sara E. Grineski are with the Center for Natural and Technological Hazards, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Timothy W. Collins is also with the Department of Geography, University of Utah. Sara E. Grineski is also with the Department of Sociology, University of Utah. Danielle X. Morales is with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso
| | - Danielle X Morales
- Timothy W. Collins and Sara E. Grineski are with the Center for Natural and Technological Hazards, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Timothy W. Collins is also with the Department of Geography, University of Utah. Sara E. Grineski is also with the Department of Sociology, University of Utah. Danielle X. Morales is with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso
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11
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Morales DX, Morales SA, Beltran TF. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Household Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Nationally Representative Study. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2021. [PMID: 33057998 PMCID: PMC7556612 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-020-00892-7 10.1007/s40615-020-00892-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that the burden of household food insecurity is disproportionately high among racial/ethnic minority groups, yet no peer-reviewed studies have systematically examined racial/ethnic disparities in household food insecurity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study on household food insecurity during COVID-19 used data from a nationally representative sample of US households through the 2020 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) (including all 50 states and the District of Columbia, n = 74,413 households). Six generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were estimated, and the results indicated that households headed by Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, or other racial/ethnic minorities were not significantly more food insecure than White households during the pandemic. However, among food-insecure households, Black households were more likely to report that they could not afford to buy more food; Asian and Hispanic households were more likely to be afraid to go out to buy food; Asian households were more likely to face transportation issues when purchasing food; while White households were more likely to report that stores did not have the food they wanted. Moreover, racial/ethnic minorities were significantly less confident about their household food security for the next 4 weeks than Whites. The coronavirus pandemic crisis has exposed and exacerbated the food injustice in American society. Policymakers and local officials should take concerted actions to improve the capacity of food supply and ensure food equality across all racial/ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Xiaodan Morales
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX, 79968, USA.
| | - Stephanie Alexandra Morales
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 USA
| | - Tyler Fox Beltran
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 USA
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12
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Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Household Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Nationally Representative Study. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2020; 8:1300-1314. [PMID: 33057998 PMCID: PMC7556612 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-020-00892-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that the burden of household food insecurity is disproportionately high among racial/ethnic minority groups, yet no peer-reviewed studies have systematically examined racial/ethnic disparities in household food insecurity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study on household food insecurity during COVID-19 used data from a nationally representative sample of US households through the 2020 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) (including all 50 states and the District of Columbia, n = 74,413 households). Six generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were estimated, and the results indicated that households headed by Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, or other racial/ethnic minorities were not significantly more food insecure than White households during the pandemic. However, among food-insecure households, Black households were more likely to report that they could not afford to buy more food; Asian and Hispanic households were more likely to be afraid to go out to buy food; Asian households were more likely to face transportation issues when purchasing food; while White households were more likely to report that stores did not have the food they wanted. Moreover, racial/ethnic minorities were significantly less confident about their household food security for the next 4 weeks than Whites. The coronavirus pandemic crisis has exposed and exacerbated the food injustice in American society. Policymakers and local officials should take concerted actions to improve the capacity of food supply and ensure food equality across all racial/ethnic groups.
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13
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From XS to XL Urban Nature: Examining Access to Different Types of Green Space Using a ‘Just Sustainabilities’ Framework. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12176998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Different types of urban green spaces provide diverse benefits for human health and environmental sustainability, but most studies on access to green space focus on neighborhood parks, with less work on smaller or larger green spaces. In this study, we examined sociodemographic differences in access to green spaces of different sizes for 14,385 census block groups in 12 U.S. cities using a ‘just sustainabilities’ framework. We classified green spaces into street-level greenery (XS), neighborhood parks (S–L; walking and cycling access), and large parks (XL; walking, cycling, and driving access). We ran spatial filtering models at the census block group level using different thresholds based on transportation modes. We uncovered a complex picture of inequality, with consistent injustices for XS green space, and fewer injustices for S–L and XL green space based on socioeconomic status and age, and some instances of just distributions for S–L and XL green space based on race/ethnicity. Our findings present a concerning picture for ‘just sustainabilities’: the green space type that is most often part of sustainability and climate adaptation strategies—street greenery—is unjustly distributed, likely as a result of structural racism in U.S. institutions. By examining multimodal access to green spaces of different sizes, this study helps urban greening professionals develop more just and sustainable strategies.
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14
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Rubio R, Grineski S, Collins T, Morales DX. Ancestry-based intracategorical injustices in carcinogenic air pollution exposures in the United States. SOCIETY & NATURAL RESOURCES 2020; 33:987-1005. [PMID: 34548751 PMCID: PMC8452185 DOI: 10.1080/08941920.2019.1708521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies of US environmental inequalities have focused on racial/ethnic differences in air pollutant exposure. Few have applied an intracategorical framework, which enables the identification of within-group differences through the examination of subgroups. We applied this framework to examine exposure disparities between 26 ancestry/ethnic origin groups within five US racial/ethnic categories. Data come from the US Census, American Community Survey, and National Air Toxics Assessment. We calculated national population-weighted lifetime cancer risk (LCR) scores from residential exposure to hazardous air pollutants. Results showed that Americans of Dominican, Ethiopian, and Somalian descent have the highest total LCR scores at 53.1, 49.2, and 48.3 estimated excess cases of cancer per one million people, respectively. Use of the intracategorical framework enabled characterization of disparate risks that would be overlooked based on the conventional assumption that racial/ethnic environmental inequalities conform to broad, homogenous categories. Intracategorical studies can inform interventions by identifying environmentally-disadvantaged socio-demographic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Rubio
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 201 Presidents Cir, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. USA
| | - Sara Grineski
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 201 Presidents Cir, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. USA
| | - Timothy Collins
- Department of Geography, University of Utah, 201 Presidents Cir, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Danielle X. Morales
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas- El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
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15
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Grineski SE, W. Collins T, Rubio R. Distributional Environmental Injustices for a Minority Group without Minority Status: Arab Americans and Residential Exposure to Carcinogenic Air Pollution in the US. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16244899. [PMID: 31817268 PMCID: PMC6950280 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16244899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Distributional environmental injustices in residential exposure to air pollution in Arab American enclaves have not been examined. We conducted our investigation at the census tract-level across the continental United States using a set of socio-demographic variables to predict cancer risk from hazardous air pollutant (HAP) exposure. Arab enclaves had a mean cancer risk score of 44.08, as compared to 40.02 in non-enclave tracts. In terms of the specific origin groups, Moroccan enclaves had the highest cancer risk score (46.93), followed by Egyptian (45.33), Iraqi (43.13), Jordanian (41.67), and Lebanese (40.65). In generalized estimating equations controlling for geographic clustering and other covariates, Arab enclaves had significantly higher cancer risks due to HAPs (p < 0.001) than non-enclaves. When looking at specific ethnic origins, Iraqi, Palestinian, and Lebanese enclaves had significantly higher cancer risks due to HAPs (all p < 0.01) than non-enclaves. Results reveal significant environmental injustices for Arab American enclaves that should be examined in future studies. Results suggest that environmental injustice may be another way in which Arab Americans are disadvantaged as a racialized minority group without minority status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E. Grineski
- Department of Sociology/Environmental and Sustainability Studies, University of Utah, 480 S 1530 E, Room 0310, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +801-581-6153
| | - Timothy W. Collins
- Department of Geography/Environmental and Sustainability Studies, University of Utah, 332 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
| | - Ricardo Rubio
- Department of Sociology/Environmental and Sustainability Studies, University of Utah, 480 S 1530 E, Room 0310, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
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16
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Liévanos RS. Racialized Structural Vulnerability: Neighborhood Racial Composition, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Fine Particulate Matter in California. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16173196. [PMID: 31480556 PMCID: PMC6747230 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16173196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
This study contributes to previous research by advancing a “racialized structural vulnerability” framework and presenting a new empirical analysis of the relationship between neighborhood Asian, Black, and Latinx composition; extrinsic and intrinsic vulnerability; and PM2.5 exposures in California with secondary data from 2004–2014. Principal component analyses revealed that tract Latinx composition was highly correlated with extrinsic vulnerability (economic disadvantage and limited English-speaking ability), and that tract Black composition was highly correlated with intrinsic vulnerability (elevated prevalence of asthma-related emergency department visits and low birth weight). Spatial lag regression models tested hypotheses regarding the association between Asian, Black, and Latinx population vulnerability factors and the 2009–2011 annual average PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of emissions and spatial covariates. Results indicated that the percent Latinx population, followed by the regional clustering of PM2.5, and the percent of non-Latinx Black and non-Latinx Asian population were the strongest positive multivariable correlates of PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of other factors. Additional analyses suggested that despite shifting demographic and spatial correlates of 2012–2014 PM2.5 exposures, the tracts’ Black and Latinx composition and location in the San Joaquin Valley remain important vulnerability factors with implications for future research and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul S Liévanos
- Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA.
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17
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Loustaunau MG, Chakraborty J. Vehicular Air Pollution in Houston, Texas: An Intra-Categorical Analysis of Environmental Injustice. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E2968. [PMID: 31426575 PMCID: PMC6720268 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16162968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article contributes to distributive environmental justice (EJ) research on air pollution by analyzing racial/ethnic and related intra-categorical disparities in health risk from exposure to on-road hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in Harris County, Texas. Previous studies in this urban area have not examined intra-ethnic heterogeneity in EJ outcomes or disproportionate exposure to vehicular pollutants. Our goal was to determine how the EJ implications of cancer risk from exposure to on-road HAP sources differ across and within each major racial/ethnic group (Hispanics, non-Hispanic Blacks, and non-Hispanic Whites), based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency's National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (2011) and American Community Survey (2009-2013). Statistical analyses are based on generalized estimating equations which account for clustering of analytic units. Results indicated that Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks are exposed to significantly higher cancer risk than non-Hispanic Whites. When each racial/ethnic group was disaggregated based on contextually relevant characteristics, individuals who are in poverty, foreign-born, renters, and have limited English proficiency are found to be disproportionately located in areas exposed to significantly higher cancer risk, regardless of their major racial/ethnic designation. Our findings underscore the need to conduct intra-categorical EJ analysis for uncovering inequalities that get concealed when broadly defined racial/ethnic categories are used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel G Loustaunau
- Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Jayajit Chakraborty
- Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
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18
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Collins TW, Grineski SE, Nadybal S. Social disparities in exposure to noise at public schools in the contiguous United States. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 175:257-265. [PMID: 31146097 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Children are vulnerable to environmental hazards and spend significant portions of their days at school. However, just one national-level study has examined school-level environmental inequalities (in air pollution exposures), and none have examined disparate exposures to noise pollution, even though noise impacts children's health and development. We integrated data from 2014-2015 on the locations and socio-demographics of each public school in the contiguous US (n=94,432) with road and aviation transportation noise estimates. Using bivariate and multivariate statistics, we tested for disparities in road and aviation noise exposure across schools. Among the 49,697,890 children attending contiguous US public schools, we found that those attending schools most highly exposed to road noise or aviation noise were significantly more likely to be eligible for free/reduced price meals (economically deprived), and to be Hispanic, black, or Asian/Pacific Islander (API). They were less likely to be white or of another race. In multivariate generalized estimating equations (GEEs) controlling for school district effects, we found that schools with greater proportions of Hispanic, black or API students, schools with higher enrollment, and schools serving the youngest students had significantly more road noise and greater odds of aviation noise exposure. In the GEEs, a higher proportion of economically-deprived students in schools was associated with greater road noise, but not aviation noise. Overall, our analyses indicate that America's racial/ethnic minority children bear the brunt of transportation noise exposures at school, which may unequally impact their academic performance, health, and future potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy W Collins
- Department of Geography, University of Utah; 260 Central Campus Dr., Rm. 4625, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States.
| | - Sara E Grineski
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah; 380 S 1530 E, Rm. 301, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States
| | - Shawna Nadybal
- Department of Geography, University of Utah; 260 Central Campus Dr., Rm. 4625, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States
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