Power, Proximity, and Physiology: Does Income Inequality and Racial Composition Amplify the Impacts of Air Pollution on Life Expectancy in the United States?

Authors

Andrew K. Jorgenson, Boston CollegeFollow
Terrence D. Hill, The University of ArizonaFollow
Brett Clark, University of UtahFollow
Ryan P. Thombs, Boston CollegeFollow
Peter Ore, University of ArizonaFollow
Kelly S. Balistreri, Bowling Green State UniversityFollow
Jennifer E. Givens, Utah State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title

Environmental Research Letters

Publication Date

2-7-2020

Publisher

Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd.

Volume

15

Issue

2

First Page

1

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Last Page

10

Abstract

This study advances research at the intersection of environmental degradation, social stratification, and population health in the United States. Expanding the theoretical principles of power, proximity, and physiology, we hypothesize that the harmful effect of fine particulate matter on life expectancy is greater in states with higher levels of income inequality and larger black populations. To test our hypothesis, we use two-way fixed effects regression analysis to estimate the effect of a three-way interaction between fine particulate matter, income share of the top ten percent, and the percent of the population that is black on state-level average life expectancy for all US states and the District of Columbia (2000–2014). The findings support our hypothesis: the estimated effect of the three-way interaction on average life expectancy is negative and statistically significant, net of various socioeconomic and demographic controls. Using post-estimation techniques, we visually illustrate that the harmful effect of fine particulate matter on life expectancy is especially pronounced in states with both very high levels of income inequality and very large black populations. We conclude by summarizing the theoretical and substantive implications of our findings, the limitations of the study, and potential next steps in this evolving area of interdisciplinary research.

Recommended Citation

Andrew K. Jorgenson, Terrence D. Hill, Brett Clark, Ryan P. Thombs, Peter Ore, Kelly S. Balistreri, and Jennifer E. Givens, Power, proximity, and physiology: does income inequality and racial composition amplify the impacts of air pollution on life expectancy in the United States?, Environmental Research Letters 15 (2020), no. 2, 024013.