Black carbon exposure more strongly associated with census tract poverty compared to household income among US black, white, and Latino working class adults in Boston, MA (2003-2010).
We investigated the association of individual-level ambient exposure to black carbon (spatiotemporal model-based estimate for latitude and longitude of residential address) with individual, household, and census tract socioeconomic measures among a study sample comprised of 1757 US urban working class white, black and Latino adults (age 25-64) recruited for two studies conducted in Boston, MA (2003-2004; 2008-2010). Controlling for age, study, and exam date, the estimated average annual black carbon exposure for the year prior to study enrollment at the participants' residential address was directly associated with census tract poverty (beta = 0.373; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.322, 0.423) but not with annual household income or education; null associations with race/ethnicity became significant only after controlling for socioeconomic position.
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Kresge 717, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: nkrieger@hsph.harvard.edu.
Nancy
N
Krieger
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: pwaterma@hsph.harvard.edu.
Pamela D
PD
Waterman
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: al.grip@gmail.com.
Alexandros
A
Gryparis
Department of Biostatistics and Department of Environmental Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Building II, Room 413, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: bcoull@hsph.harvard.edu.
Brent A
BA
Coull
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001900:Boston / Q000208:ethnology; D019352:Censuses; D004522:Educational Status; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D053260:Soot / Q000032:analysis*; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology
D000393:Air Pollutants; D053260:Soot
Air pollution; Black carbon; Poverty; Race/ethnicity; Socioeconomic