Neighbourhood-level air pollution and greenspace and inflammation in adults

Inflammation has been proposed as a pathway from adverse physical environments to poor physical and mental health. We estimated longitudinal associations of neighbourhood-level air pollution and greenspace with individual-level inflammation (measured with C-reactive protein and fibrinogen), using data from over 8000 adults living in England and Wales who participated in Understanding Society. Using linear regression, we found that neighbourhood-level nitrogen dioxide predicted later levels of fibrinogen, but not C-reactive protein. Area air pollution, but not area greenery, appears to predict inflammation, even after accounting for social deprivation in the area.