TY - JOUR
T1 - Lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic achievement
T2 - A nationwide cohort study in Denmark
AU - Lim, Youn-Hee
AU - Bilsteen, Josephine Funck
AU - Mortensen, Laust Hvas
AU - Lanzky, Linnea Ranja Mignon
AU - Zhang, Jiawei
AU - Tuffier, Stéphane
AU - Brandt, Jørgen
AU - Ketzel, Matthias
AU - Flensborg-Madsen, Trine
AU - Wimmelmann, Cathrine Lawaetz
AU - Okholm, Gunhild Tidemann
AU - Hegelund, Emilie Rune
AU - Napolitano, George Maria
AU - Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic
AU - Loft, Steffen
N1 - Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Recent research suggests a link between air pollution and cognitive development in children, and studies on air pollution and academic achievement are emerging. We conducted a nationwide cohort study in Denmark to explore the associations between lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic performance in 9th grade. The study encompassed 785,312 children born in Denmark between 1989 and 2005, all of whom completed 9th-grade exit examinations. Using linear mixed models with a random intercept for each school, we assessed the relationship between 16 years of exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and gaseous pollutants and Grade Point Averages (GPA) in exit examinations, covering subjects such as Danish literature, Danish writing, English, mathematics, and natural sciences. The study revealed that a 5 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 was associated with a decrease of 0.99 (95 % Confidence Intervals: -1.05, -0.92) and 0.46 (-0.50, -0.41) in GPA, respectively. Notably, these negative associations were more pronounced in mathematics and natural sciences compared to language-related subjects. Additionally, girls and children with non-Danish mothers were found to be particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution exposure. These results underscore the potential long-term consequences of air pollution on academic achievement, emphasizing the significance of interventions that foster healthier environments for children's cognitive development.
AB - Recent research suggests a link between air pollution and cognitive development in children, and studies on air pollution and academic achievement are emerging. We conducted a nationwide cohort study in Denmark to explore the associations between lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic performance in 9th grade. The study encompassed 785,312 children born in Denmark between 1989 and 2005, all of whom completed 9th-grade exit examinations. Using linear mixed models with a random intercept for each school, we assessed the relationship between 16 years of exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and gaseous pollutants and Grade Point Averages (GPA) in exit examinations, covering subjects such as Danish literature, Danish writing, English, mathematics, and natural sciences. The study revealed that a 5 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 was associated with a decrease of 0.99 (95 % Confidence Intervals: -1.05, -0.92) and 0.46 (-0.50, -0.41) in GPA, respectively. Notably, these negative associations were more pronounced in mathematics and natural sciences compared to language-related subjects. Additionally, girls and children with non-Danish mothers were found to be particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution exposure. These results underscore the potential long-term consequences of air pollution on academic achievement, emphasizing the significance of interventions that foster healthier environments for children's cognitive development.
U2 - 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108500
DO - 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108500
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38430583
VL - 185
JO - Environment international
JF - Environment international
SN - 0160-4120
M1 - 108500
ER -