Relationships and mechanisms between exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution and mental health among children and adolescents

DONG Qing; WEI Runyu; LI Shuqin; XU Huiqiong; WAN Yuhui

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0596

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (9) : 1036-1040. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0596

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Relationships and mechanisms between exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution and mental health among children and adolescents

DONG Qing¹, WEI Runyu¹, LI Shuqin¹, XU Huiqiong², WAN Yuhui¹

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Abstract

Recent years have seen an escalating focus on the association of children's and adolescents' mental well-being with the quality of indoor and outdoor air.This paper reviews pertinent studies, discussing the impact of exposure to air pollutants on the mental health of this demographic and the underlying biological mechanisms by which they may act.It aims to help gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between air pollution and mental health of children and adolescents.Future studies should pay more attention to the effects of long-term combined exposure to multiple air pollutants and air pollution constituents from different sources on the mental health of children and adolescents, as well as the potential causal pathways and biological mechanisms, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the promotion of children and adolescents' mental health.

Key words

air pollution / mental health / children / adolescents

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DONG Qing, WEI Runyu, LI Shuqin, XU Huiqiong, WAN Yuhui. Relationships and mechanisms between exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution and mental health among children and adolescents[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2026, 34(9): 1036-1040 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0596

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