Ambient fine particulate matter air pollution and leisure-time physical inactivity among US adults.
OBJECTIVE
There is mounting evidence documenting the adverse health effects of short- and long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, but population-based evidence linking PM2.5 and health behaviour remains lacking. This study examined the relationship between ambient PM2.5 air pollution and leisure-time physical inactivity among US adults 18 years of age and above.


METHODS
Retrospective data analysis.


METHODS
Participant-level data (n = 2,381,292) from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2003-2011 surveys were linked with Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research air quality data by participants' residential county and interview month/year. Multilevel logistic regressions were performed to examine the effect of ambient PM2.5 air pollution on participants' leisure-time physical inactivity, accounting for various individual and county-level characteristics. Regressions were estimated on the overall sample and subsamples stratified by sex, age cohort, race/ethnicity and body weight status.


RESULTS
One unit (μg/m(3)) increase in county monthly average PM2.5 concentration was found to be associated with an increase in the odds of physical inactivity by 0.46% (95% confidence interval = 0.34%-0.59%). The effect was similar between the sexes but to some extent (although not always statistically significant) larger for younger adults, Hispanics, and overweight/obese individuals compared with older adults, non-Hispanic whites or African Americans, and normal weight individuals, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Ambient PM2.5 air pollution is found to be associated with a modest but measurable increase in individuals' leisure-time physical inactivity, and the relationship tends to differ across population subgroups.
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. Electronic address: ran5@illinois.edu.
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Center for Education in Health Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057185:Sedentary Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
D052638:Particulate Matter
Air pollution; Fine particulate matter; Multilevel model; Physical inactivity