Health impacts of lifestyle and ambient air pollution patterns on all-cause mortality: a UK Biobank cohort study

Abstract

Abstract Background Extensive evidence indicates that both lifestyle factors and air pollution are strongly associated with all-cause mortality. However, little studies in this field have integrated these two factors in order to examine their relationship with mortality and explore potential interactions. Methods A cohort of 271,075 participants from the UK Biobank underwent analysis. Lifestyles in terms of five modifiable factors, namely smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet, and sleep quality, were classified as unhealthy (0–1 score), general (2–3 score), and healthy (4–5 score). Air pollution, including particle matter with a diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), particulate matter with a diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), particulate matter with a diameter 2.5–10 μm (PM2.5−10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx), was divided into three levels (high, moderate, and low) using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to examine the links between lifestyle, air pollution, and all-cause mortality before and after adjustment for potential confounders. Restricted cubic spline curves featuring three knots were incorporated to determine nonlinear relationships. The robustness of the findings was assessed via subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Results With unhealthy lifestyles have a significantly enhanced risk of death compared to people with general lifestyles (HR = 1.315, 95% CI, 1.277–1.355), while people with healthy lifestyles have a significantly lower risk of death (HR = 0.821, 95% CI, 0.785–0.858). Notably, the difference in risk between moderate air pollution and mortality risk remained insignificant (HR = 0.993, 95% CI, 0.945–1.044). High air pollution, on the other hand, was independently linked to increased mortality risk as compared to low air pollution (HR = 1.162, 95% CI, 1.124–1.201). The relationship between NOx, PM10, and PM2.5−10 and all-cause mortality was found to be nonlinear (p for nonlinearity < 0.05). Furthermore, no significant interaction was identified between lifestyle and air pollution with respect to all-cause mortality. Conclusions Exposure to ambient air pollution elevated the likelihood of mortality from any cause, which was impacted by individual lifestyles. To alleviate this hazard, it is crucial for authorities to escalate environmental interventions, while individuals should proactively embrace and sustain healthy lifestyles.

Keywords

• Air pollution
• Lifestyle
• All-cause mortality
• Latent profile analysis