Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/670243
Chapter 5: Summary Air pollution is harmful to everyone. However, some people suffer more because they are: • more likely to live in polluted areas • exposed to higher levels of air pollution • more vulnerable to health problems caused by air pollution. Some people face all of these disadvantages. Low income is one factor that can have such multiple effects. Poorer people are more likely to have existing medical conditions, and tend to live in areas where the outdoor and indoor environments – including the quality of the air – are not as healthy. Less access to decent housing, green spaces, jobs and healthy food all contribute to poor health. These stressful conditions may also affect the body's response to air pollution. In some ways, it is a vicious circle. For example, research suggests that some chemicals in air pollution may be implicated in the development of obesity – and we also know that obese people are more sensitive to air pollution. 66 © Royal College of Physicians 2016