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This study will investigate the relationship between outdoor air pollution exposure and individual-level health outcomes in Northern Ireland. Health will be measured using self-reports collected at Census. Pollution data are available annually between 2001 and 2021 at a 1×1 km grid square resolution, with pollution exposure assigned to each NILS member using anonymized address information.
The project will take advantage of newly available Census data for 2021 to study the effects of long-term pollution exposure (2001-2021) and to carry out longitudinal analysis assessing the effects of changes in pollution exposures between Census years on changes in self-reported health. The 2021 Census was the second Census to gather information on multiple long-term health conditions, making longitudinal analysis for such outcomes possible for the first time.
The analysis will be conducted for all age groups, analysing the impact of pollution exposure on general health, disability, as well as specific health conditions. It will also investigate the effect of pollution exposure at the time of birth and during childhood on health outcomes in childhood and early adulthood. More generally, this project will investigate the relationship between air pollution and health using the most up-to-date pollution and health data.
Although many existing studies have examined the effects of pollution on mortality and health, most are associational in nature, drawing on cross-sectional data. This study will conduct longitudinal analysis for a wide range of outcomes, including general health, disability and specific health conditions measured in multiple Census years, thereby making additional contributions to the literature.
