Air pollution levels in American Indian communities in the Great Plains and Southwest: The Strong Heart Study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Differences in environmental exposures—particularly to ambient air pollution—have been consistently documented across communities in the United States (U.S.). However, relatively few studies on air pollution have focused on American Indians. In this paper, we combine demographic data from Phase IV (2001 to 2003) and Phase V (2006 to 2009) of the Strong Heart Study—the largest ongoing longitudinal epidemiologic cohort study of cardiovascular disease in American Indians—and 1 km 2 modeled PM 2.5 data in the Northern Plains, Southern Plains, and Southwestern United States. We analyzed data at the U.S. ZIP code level to estimate 30-day and annual residential exposures of participants to PM 2.5 and assess for regional, temporal, and seasonal variations in PM2.5 exposure. We found significantly higher mean 30-day and annual PM 2.5 concentrations among participants in the Southwest and Southern Plains (>7.4 μg/m 3 and >7.6 μg/m 3 , respectively) than in the Northern Plains (<6.6 μg/m 3 and <6.2 μg/m 3 , respectively). We observed heterogeneity in participants' mean 30-day and annual PM 2.5 exposure within and across regions. Furthermore, seasonal differences in ambient PM 2.5 concentrations among participants varied by region; in the Northern Plains, we generally observed higher mean 30-day PM 2.5 exposure levels in the summertime and lower levels in the wintertime, whereas levels remained relatively constant in the Southern Plains and Southwest. These findings offer essential baseline data to advance accurate and equitable exposure assessment across tribal communities in the Northern Plains, Southern Plains, and Southwest regions.
Source: Atmospheric Pollution Research
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,570
Awards: Cardiovascular Disease in Sioux Indians, The Strong Heart Study, Phase V, CVD in American Indians Biomarker lab and Arizona Field Center, Strong Heart Family Study, Cardiovascular Evaluation for the SHS Phase V, Arsenic Exposure, Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes in Native Americans, CVD in American Indians Genetics Center, CVD in American Indians Study and Data Management Center and OK Field Center, CVD in American Indians: Imaging and Cardiovascular Center, Integrating Air Pollution Prediction Models: Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation in Health Studies, Mentoring in community-engaged approaches to address CVD disparities, CVD in American Indians The Dakota Field Center, Particulate air pollution and effects on cardiovascular health in American Indian communities, Cardiovascular Disease in Pima Indians, UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility, PRIDE Summer Institute in Cardiovascular Disease Comorbidities, Genetics and Epidemiology (CVD-CGE), Columbia University and Northern Plains Partnership for the Superfund Research Program, Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan
OpenAlex ID: W4417247405