Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results?
Background: Few comparisons between causal inference and traditional approaches have been performed. We applied “causal” and “traditional” methods to investigate the association between long-term air pollution exposure (PM2.5 and NO2) and mortality. Methods: We analyzed pooled data from eight well-c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023001459 |
| _version_ | 1827960397258293248 |
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| author | Massimo Stafoggia Antonis Analitis Jie Chen Sophia Rodopoulou Bert Brunekreef Gerard Hoek Kathrin Wolf Evangelia Samoli |
| author_facet | Massimo Stafoggia Antonis Analitis Jie Chen Sophia Rodopoulou Bert Brunekreef Gerard Hoek Kathrin Wolf Evangelia Samoli |
| author_sort | Massimo Stafoggia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Few comparisons between causal inference and traditional approaches have been performed. We applied “causal” and “traditional” methods to investigate the association between long-term air pollution exposure (PM2.5 and NO2) and mortality. Methods: We analyzed pooled data from eight well-characterized cohorts and one administrative cohort. We defined the generalized propensity score (GPS) as the conditional likelihood of exposure given confounders, and derived corresponding inverse-probability weights (IPW). We applied Cox-proportional hazard models weighted by IPW, adjusted for GPS, and directly adjusting for all confounders. Results: In IPW models, PM2.5 5 µg/m3 increases were associated with hazard ratios (HR) = 1.141 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.107, 1.176) and 1.050 (1.014, 1.088) in the pooled and administrative cohorts. Corresponding estimates for traditional Cox models were 1.132 (1.107, 1.158) and 1.057 (1.025, 1.089). Almost identical results were found for all approaches and both pollutants, when unbalanced covariates were adjusted for in causal models. Conclusions: Traditional and causal approaches provided consistent associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and mortality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:07:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-afc4bb3b21f54e4abc0346822fb93117 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:07:50Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-afc4bb3b21f54e4abc0346822fb931172023-04-25T04:07:36ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202023-04-01174107872Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results?Massimo Stafoggia0Antonis Analitis1Jie Chen2Sophia Rodopoulou3Bert Brunekreef4Gerard Hoek5Kathrin Wolf6Evangelia Samoli7Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Region Health Service / ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Corresponding author at: Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Region Health Service / ASL Roma 1, Via Cristoforo Colombo 112, 00147 Rome, Italy.Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsDepartment of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, GermanyDepartment of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceBackground: Few comparisons between causal inference and traditional approaches have been performed. We applied “causal” and “traditional” methods to investigate the association between long-term air pollution exposure (PM2.5 and NO2) and mortality. Methods: We analyzed pooled data from eight well-characterized cohorts and one administrative cohort. We defined the generalized propensity score (GPS) as the conditional likelihood of exposure given confounders, and derived corresponding inverse-probability weights (IPW). We applied Cox-proportional hazard models weighted by IPW, adjusted for GPS, and directly adjusting for all confounders. Results: In IPW models, PM2.5 5 µg/m3 increases were associated with hazard ratios (HR) = 1.141 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.107, 1.176) and 1.050 (1.014, 1.088) in the pooled and administrative cohorts. Corresponding estimates for traditional Cox models were 1.132 (1.107, 1.158) and 1.057 (1.025, 1.089). Almost identical results were found for all approaches and both pollutants, when unbalanced covariates were adjusted for in causal models. Conclusions: Traditional and causal approaches provided consistent associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and mortality.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023001459Air pollutionCausal inferenceGeneralized propensity scoreInverse probability weightingMortality |
| spellingShingle | Massimo Stafoggia Antonis Analitis Jie Chen Sophia Rodopoulou Bert Brunekreef Gerard Hoek Kathrin Wolf Evangelia Samoli Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results? Environment International Air pollution Causal inference Generalized propensity score Inverse probability weighting Mortality |
| title | Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results? |
| title_full | Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results? |
| title_fullStr | Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results? |
| title_short | Comparing “causal” and “traditional” approaches in the association of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality: How sensitive are the results? |
| title_sort | comparing causal and traditional approaches in the association of long term exposure to ambient air pollution on mortality how sensitive are the results |
| topic | Air pollution Causal inference Generalized propensity score Inverse probability weighting Mortality |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023001459 |
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