The Journal of Practical Medicine >
The role of socioeconomic status in the relationship between environmental pollution and mortality
Received date: 2025-04-09
Online published: 2025-07-02
Objective To assess the relationship between environmental pollution and mortality， along with the mediating function of socioeconomic status （SES）. Methods Data sourced from the UK Biobank were utilized， encompassing 318，974 participants. SES was evaluated through the Townsend Deprivation Index （TDI）. Cox regression models were employed to explore the associations between environmental pollution and all-cause mortality， as well as cause-specific mortality. Linear regression analysis was conducted to analyze the mediating role of TDI levels in the relationship between pollution and mortality risk. Results During the follow-up period， 24 909 deaths were recorded， with the participants having an average age of 61.5 years. Except for PM10， all pollutants were found to be associated with all-cause mortality， and PM2.5 was linked to cause-specific mortality. Higher pollution scores were correlated with elevated all-cause mortality hazard ratios （HRs）， reaching 1.13 （95%CI： 1.09 ~ 1.18） in the highest quintile. Greater socioeconomic deprivation was also associated with higher all-cause mortality HRs， specifically 1.36 （95%CI： 1.24 ~ 1.49） for the most deprived group. Conclusions Environmental pollution constitutes a risk factor for mortality， with SES playing a mediating role. Besides public health interventions and personal behavioral guidance， innovative social policies and financial support mechanisms are requisite to improve the overall environment in impoverished regions.
Key words： socioeconomic status; environmental pollution; mortality; UK Biobank; public health
Yang SHU , Hao CHEN , Lawrence Lam . The role of socioeconomic status in the relationship between environmental pollution and mortality[J]. The Journal of Practical Medicine, 2025 , 41(12) : 1913 -1921 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.12.021
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