The association of residential greenness and ambient particulate matter with hearing impairment in Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults: a nationwide cohort study

Apr 7, 2025Aging clinical and experimental research

How neighborhood greenery and air pollution relate to hearing loss in middle-aged and older adults in China

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Abstract

A total of 2,527 cases of hearing impairment were reported among 13,585 participants over 7 years.

  • Higher levels of residential greenness were linked to a decreased risk of hearing impairment, with a hazard ratio of 0.688 for each 0.1 unit increase in greenness.
  • Exposure to a 10 µg/m³ increase in (PM) was associated with a 67.6% increased risk of hearing impairment.
  • A 10 µg/m³ increase in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was linked to a 30.4% increased risk of hearing impairment.
  • The negative effects of PM and PM2.5 on hearing impairment were reduced with greater residential greenness.
  • Particulate matter and fine particulate matter were significant mediators in the relationship between residential greenness and hearing impairment.

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Key numbers

0.688
Decrease in Hearing Impairment Risk
Hazard Ratio for a 0.1 unit increase in
1.676
Increase in Hearing Impairment Risk (PM2.5)
Hazard Ratio for a 10 µg/m³ increase in PM2.5
1.304
Increase in Hearing Impairment Risk (PM10)
Hazard Ratio for a 10 µg/m³ increase in PM10

Full Text

What this is

  • This study examines how residential greenness and () affect hearing impairment in Chinese adults aged 45 and older.
  • Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, the study analyzes over 13,000 participants over seven years.
  • Findings suggest that higher residential greenness is linked to a reduced risk of hearing impairment, while increased exposure is associated with a higher risk.

Essence

  • Higher residential greenness is associated with a lower risk of hearing impairment, while increased exposure to elevates this risk. Greenness may mitigate the harmful effects of .

Key takeaways

  • A 0.1 unit increase in the () corresponds to a 31.2% decrease in the risk of hearing impairment (HR: 0.688).
  • A 10 µg/m³ increase in PM2.5 is linked to a 67.6% higher risk of hearing impairment (HR: 1.676), while a similar increase in PM10 corresponds to a 30.4% higher risk (HR: 1.304).
  • The study found that PM2.5 and PM10 accounted for 47.91% and 52.83% of the mediation effect, respectively, indicating that exposure mediates the relationship between greenness and hearing impairment.

Caveats

  • Hearing impairment was self-reported, which may introduce recall bias or misclassification. Objective audiometric testing would improve measurement accuracy.
  • Residual confounding from unmeasured variables, such as occupational noise exposure, cannot be fully excluded.
  • Findings may not apply to younger populations or different countries with varying environmental contexts.

Definitions

  • Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI): A metric ranging from -1 to +1 that quantifies vegetation density in residential areas, with higher values indicating more greenery.
  • Particulate Matter (PM): A mixture of tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, which can adversely affect health, particularly respiratory and auditory systems.

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