New Dell Med study links air pollution to asthma disparities

A new study from researchers at UT Austin’s Dell Medical School has found that air pollution in Austin is linked to more asthma-related trips to emergency rooms, particularly in neighborhoods with higher populations of people of color. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, looked at five counties in the Austin metro area. “We are exploring the connections between the neighborhood environment and lung health so that people can understand the risks they face when they live in places with consistently poor air quality,” Sarah Chambliss, lead author of the study and a research associate in the Department of Population Health at Dell Med, said in a statement to the press. “But beyond understanding personal risks, this is also a critical piece to the puzzle of why Black and Latinx Austinites suffer a greater burden of asthma. We know the placement of highways and industry in East Austin contributes to greater local air pollution, and this research points to the consequences that may have for racial and ethnic health disparities.” For more information, the study can be read here.