School-based exposure to hazardous air pollutants and grade point average: A multi-level study
Sara E Grineski1, Stephanie E Clark-Reyna1, Timothy W Collins1
1Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79902, USA.
Environmental Research
|February 15, 2016
Summary
Environmental health hazards near schools negatively impact children's academic performance. Higher hazardous air pollution (HAP) exposure is linked to lower individual student grade point averages (GPAs).
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Health
- Academic Performance
Background:
- Children's susceptibility to environmental hazards necessitates research into school-based exposures.
- Previous studies linked school pollution to aggregate test scores, but individual impacts remained unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between school-level hazardous air pollution (HAP) exposure and individual children's academic performance (GPA).
Main Methods:
- Utilized parent-reported socio-demographic and grades data for 1888 children in El Paso, Texas.
- Calculated school-level HAP exposure using EPA National Air Toxics Assessment data for respiratory and diesel particulate matter.
- Employed multi-level models adjusting for individual and school-level covariates.
Main Results:
- Higher school-level HAP exposure was significantly associated with lower individual student GPAs.
- An interquartile range increase in HAP exposure correlated with a 0.11-0.40 point decrease in GPA.
- Respiratory HAP risks demonstrated a greater impact on GPA than diesel PM, with non-road mobile and total respiratory risks showing the largest effects.
Conclusions:
- School-based HAP exposure poses a significant risk to individual children's academic achievement.
- Findings underscore the need for regulations on school siting and land use to protect children's environmental health.
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