Addressing equity in interventions to reduce air pollution in urban areas: a systematic review

Abstract

Integration of equity in evidence-based public health is a great challenge nowadays. In this review we draw attention to the importance of considering equity in air pollution interventions. We also propose further methodological and theoretical challenges when assessing equity in interventions to reduce air pollution and we present opportunities to develop this research area.

A Difference-in-Differences Approach to Assess the Effect of a Heat Action Plan on Heat-Related Mortality, and Differences in Effectiveness According to Sex, Age, and Socioeconomic Status (Montreal, Quebec)

“…It is thus worthwhile to assess whether HAPs are effective in reducing or eliminating unequal health outcomes associated with heat. However, an assessment of the heterogeneity of potential benefits across subpopulations or territories (e.g., neighborhoods) is lacking in the policy evaluation literature (Bauman et al 2014; Benmarhnia et al 2014a). …”

Tool for assessing health and equity impacts of interventions modifying air quality in urban environments

“…Those focusing on reducing overall exposure will act mostly on those upstream factors classified under sources, emissions, and concentrations. Interventions acting on factors that modify spatial distribution and vulnerability, on the other hand, are particularly relevant to equity concerns, because they are rarely uniform and this differential nature generates inequalities (Benmarhnia et al, 2014). In particular, interventions acting on spatial distribution should consider both equity of exposure as well as equity of health benefits related to population vulnerabilities, because an intervention that succeeds in decreasing the heterogeneity in exposure experienced over an urban area may still reap unequal health benefits due to differential vulnerabilities (Cesaroni et al, 2012).…”

“…impact of interventions on air quality and health in urban environments (Benmarhnia et al, 2014). Some academic literature has highlighted different policies that can be implemented to reduce air pollution levels in urban areas.…”

Land use regression models for crustal and traffic-related PM2.5 constituents in four areas of the SAPALDIA study

“…This multipollutant exposure assessment will allow us to investigate the potential health effects associated with specific air pollution source categories,, and will also offer opportunities to investigate the patterns of associations between socio-economic inequities and various characteristics of air pollution (Benmarhnia et al, 2014).…”