A 28-day, 2-year study reveals that adolescents are more fatigued and distressed on days with greater NO2 and CO air pollution

Depression is a common disease with a high prevalence among children and adolescents. Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution can increase the risk of depression. However, studies examining the relationship between air pollution and depression in children and adolescents are still in their nascent stages. We conducted a systematic review of current studies to investigate how air pollution and air quality issues relating to wildfires affect depression in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19. Our study found that both wildfire-related air exposure and air pollution may be associated with an increased risk of depression among children and teenagers. Ozone exerts a short-term impact on depression in young populations, whereas fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and NO2 have a long-term impact. Heterogeneity exists across studies, necessitating further investigation. Attention should be paid to the effects of air pollution and wildfires on the mental health of children and adolescents.

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Pollution and Youth Health

Bhattacharjee,

Singh,

Singh

2024

Lifestyle Diseases in Adolescents: Addressing Physical, Emotional, and Behavioral Issues

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Adolescents and children have been deemed more vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution than adults. Every day, almost 93% of the world's children and adolescents breathe dirty air, putting their health and development in danger. It demonstrates that pregnant women exposed to polluted air are more likely to give birth prematurely and have small, low-birth-weight babies. Air pollution has an impact on neurodevelopment and cognitive aptitude, as well as the risk of developing asthma and pediatric cancer. Children who have been exposed to high levels of air pollution may have a higher chance of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease later in life. One reason children are especially exposed to the impacts of air pollution is that they breathe faster than adults and thus absorb more toxins. They also reside closer to the ground, where some contaminants reach peak concentrations, during a period when their brains and bodies are still growing. Numerous studies have revealed that air pollution has a negative impact on adolescents' health, with a particular emphasis on physical disorders, such as respiratory ailments. Furthermore, a few studies have found that kids who are exposed to poor air quality suffer from increased fatigue and mental issues both during and after the exposure. Air pollution is a global health concern that has major public health consequences, especially for youth. In addition to short-term impacts, early exposure to criterion air pollutants may be related to low birth weight, increased oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction, all of which may have long-term consequences for chronic noncommunicable diseases. Given the emerging epidemic of chronic disease in lowand middle-income countries, as well as the vicious cycle of rapid urbanization and rising levels of air pollution, public health, and regulatory policies to protect air quality should be integrated into the primary healthcare system's main priorities and health professionals' educational curricula.

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A 28-day, 2-year study reveals that adolescents are more fatigued and distressed on days with greater NO2 and CO air pollution

Cited by 3 publications

References 44 publications

The interactive effects of temperature and air quality on productivity

The interactive effects of temperature and air quality on productivity

The association between air pollutants and depression in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Pollution and Youth Health

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