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Air Pollution and Children’s Health Inequalities

Author

Listed:
  • M. SUAREZ CASTILLO

    (CREST)

  • D. BENATIA

    (HEC Montreal)

  • C. LE THI

    (OCDE)

  • V. COSTEMALLE

    (DREES)

Abstract

This paper examines the differential impacts of early childhood exposure to air pollution on children’s health care use across parental income groups and vulnerability factors using French administrative data. Our quasi-experimental study reveals significant impacts on emergency admissions and respiratory medication in young children, attributed to air pollution shocks from thermal inversions. Using causal machine learning, we identify these health impacts as predominantly affecting 10% of infants, characterized by poor health indicators at birth and lower parental income. Our results indicate that targeted policies based on vulnerability metrics may be more effective at delivering public health benefits than those based solely on exposure levels.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Suarez Castillo & D. Benatia & C. Le Thi & V. Costemalle, 2024. "Air Pollution and Children’s Health Inequalities," Documents de Travail de l'Insee - INSEE Working Papers 2024-10, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques.
    • Handle: RePEc:nse:doctra:2024-10
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    File URL: https://www.bnsp.insee.fr/ark:/12148/bc6p091jd9t/f1.pdf
    File Function: Document de travail de la DESE numero 2024-10
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Hai Hong & Kevin Chen, 2026. "When the wind blows: agricultural fire exposure, parental investment, and long-term outcomes," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 39(1), pages 1-45, March.
    3. Sun, Yajie & Wu, Chenyu & Zhang, Qing & Zhang, Yuan, 2025. "The fertility dividend of environmental regulations: Evidence from China's Low-Carbon City policy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    4. Ai, Hongshan & Tan, Xiaoqing, 2025. "The impact of exposure to pipeline gas connection during pregnancy on child development: Evidence from China," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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