Associations Between Gender Gaps in Life Expectancy, Air Pollution, and Urbanization: A Global Assessment With Bayesian Spatiotemporal Modeling

Int J Public Health. 2023 May 10:68:1605345. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605345. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Objectives: It's evident that women have a longer life expectancy than men. This study investigates the spatiotemporal trends of gender gaps in life expectancy (GGLE). It demonstrates the spatiotemporal difference of the influence factors of population-weighted air pollution (pwPM2.5) and urbanization on GGLE. Methods: Panel data on GGLE and influencing factors from 134 countries from 1960 to 2018 are collected. The Bayesian spatiotemporal model is performed. Results: The results show an obvious spatial heterogeneity worldwide with a continuously increasing trend of GGLE. Bayesian spatiotemporal regression reveals a significant positive relationship between pwPM2.5, urbanization, and GGLE with the spatial random effects. Further, the regression coefficients present obvious geographic disparities across space worldwide. Conclusion: In sum, social-economic development and air quality improvement should be considered comprehensively in global policy to make a fair chance for both genders to maximize their health gains.

Keywords: Bayesian spatiotemporal modeling; air pollution; gender gaps in life expectancy; spatial heterogeneity analysis; urbanization.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants* / analysis
  • Air Pollution* / analysis
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Life Expectancy
  • Male
  • Sex Factors
  • Urbanization

Substances

  • Air Pollutants

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System Young Talent Fund (YPI007), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA20030302), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42071377).