Association of Air Pollution and Socioeconomic Deprivation with Depression and Pain

Air pollution and socioeconomic deprivation have been independently associated with multiple negative health outcomes, such as depression and increased pain frequency and duration. This study examined the joint influences of air pollution and individual- and neighborhood-level deprivation on depression and pain. A total of 1113 adults (aged 18–88 years) completed a series of surveys about their mental and physical health and living environment. Participants’ geocoded addresses were used to obtain their long-term average exposure to PM2.5 and their neighborhood’s socioeconomic status and resource access via the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). We found significant age interactions with PM2.5 and several socioeconomic deprivation indicators. Individual-level and neighborhood-level deprivation on their own significantly predicted levels of depression and pain. We also found that relative deprivation, the measure of an individual’s socioeconomic deprivation compared to their neighborhood, was significantly associated with experiences of both depression and pain. These findings are important to understanding the impacts of environmental stressors, particularly on the aging population, which may contribute to improved interventions and public policy targeting the detrimental associations of environmental stressors with human health.