ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1589168
Aging in smog: How air pollution and inequality shape relocation decisions among China's elderly
Provisionally accepted
- 1Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- 2Research Institute of Central Jiangsu Development, Yangzhou, China
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Objective: This study investigates the relationship between air pollution perceptions and relocation intentions among elderly populations in China. It aims to understand how dissatisfaction with air quality influences the willingness of elderly individuals to relocate from heavily polluted urban areas, while also examining the moderating effects of urban and individual characteristics. Methods: Utilizing data from official, confidential surveys from Urban Health Check Program in China in 2023,, we employed a two-stage analytical framework to analyze the dual mechanisms through which air pollution impacts migration decisions: direct environmental push factors and perception-mediated psychological pathways. Regression analysis was conducted to quantify the mediation effects of urban characteristics and individual attributes on health risk perceptions among elderly adults.The findings indicate that air quality dissatisfaction significantly predicts the willingness to relocate, especially in cities with high concentrations of pollutants like PM 2.5 , NO 2 , SO 2 , and CO. Air quality satisfaction was identified as a critical mediator in the relationship between pollutant levels and relocation intentions. Additionally, socio-economic disparities and intergenerational dynamics were found to complicate relocation decisions, with some elderly individuals developing attenuated pollution risk perceptions due to limited health literacy and adaptive resources.This study underscores the vital role of elderly individuals' perceptions in shaping their responses to air pollution and relocation intentions. It highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions that enhance health literacy, address environmental inequalities, and consider intergenerational dynamics in policy-making. Strategies such as health education programs, subsidized relocation initiatives, and supportive policies for caregivers are essential for fostering healthier living environments and improving the overall well-being of elderly adults amid ongoing environmental challenges.
Keywords: Air Pollution, Satisfaction, relocation, elderly adults, China
Received: 10 Mar 2025; Accepted: 20 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xiong, He, Guo and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wenzhong Zhang, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
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