Breathing Clean Air, Remembering Better: A Cross-Regional Study of Air Quality and Episodic Memory in European Older Adults

Arda Aktas, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Miguel Poblete-Cazenave, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Daniela Weber , Wittgenstein Centre, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Vienna University of Economics and Business

Air quality is a critical environmental concern that poses significant health risks to populations worldwide. Therefore, air pollution's impact on the cognitive health of older adults has gained attention as an urgent global concern. This study addresses a critical research gap by investigating the association between air pollution, particulate matter (PM10), and episodic memory in older adults across various European regions. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), a comprehensive panel study on health and aging, this research employs multilevel modeling to explore the episodic memory consequences of varying air quality. Older adults are a particularly vulnerable subpopulation, and with their increasing representation in populations, understanding the factors influencing their cognitive health has never been more pertinent. The study reveals that while individual factors like education or contextual factors such as development or societal equality have been recognized as influential for episodic memory, the role of environmental factors remains underexplored. This study bridges the gap by focusing on the impact of air pollution. Our preliminary results show that exposure to PM10 has a significant detrimental effect on the cognitive performance. This research aims at providing valuable insights for public health policies and interventions aimed at preserving cognitive well-being in aging populations. Understanding the cognitive implications of air pollution is essential for addressing the challenges posed by the aging global population, ultimately promoting a higher quality of life for older adults in Europe and beyond.

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session P92. Climate Change, Morbidity and Mortality