Work

Racial-ethnic composition of U.S. school districts, wildfire smoke PM2.5 levels, and reduced in-person learning among schoolchildren and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In 2023, the U.S. Biden administration called for an “all-hands-on-deck” response to address chronic absenteeism and disrupted learning among primary and secondary school students due to school closures and remote learning during the pandemic. To identify student populations that might benefit from interventions, this study examined the racial-ethnic composition of school districts as a predictor of wildfire smoke PM 2.5 levels and in-person student visits to schools. In a lagged cross-sectional study, multivariable logistic regression was employed to investigate school district quartiles of mean percentages of non-White students as predictors of: 1) mean levels of wildfire smoke PM 2.5 > 35 μg/m 3 during school days for grade 3–8 students; and 2) being above the median for the mean decline in in-person K-12 student attendance (vs. pre-pandemic) during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 school years. The highest (vs. lowest) quartile for the district-level percentage of non-White students predicted a nearly 3-fold higher odds (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 2.78; 95 % CI = 2.07–3.74; P < .001) of high wildfire smoke exposure and 5-fold higher odds (AOR = 4.95; 95 % CI = 3.84–6.38; P < .001) of substantially reduced in-person learning levels. Successively higher odds for both outcomes were observed in higher quartiles ( P for trend < .001). Similar patterns were seen when percentages of Asian-, Black-, and Hispanic-American students were modeled simultaneously. Districts with higher percentages of non-White students showed elevated odds of high wildfire smoke PM 2.5 levels and distance learning. Distributing portable air filtration devices in these districts could be a cost-effective intervention to address these concomitant risks and mitigate learning loss among children and adolescents in the USA.

Source: Preventive Medicine Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103033

Author: Daniel Kim

Institution: Northeastern University

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Justice and Health Disparities

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being, Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,610