Exploring How Environmental Factors Shape Quality of Life in Czech Republic’s Industrial vs. Non-Industrial Areas

Provisionally accepted

Background:Prolonged exposure to air pollution correlates with a greater frequency of various non-infectious ailments.However, not solely air pollution, but additional risk elements, such as lifestyle, may influence the incidence of these diseases or premature deaths associated with them. This research aimed to evaluate the lifestyle of inhabitants from two regions with different levels of air pollution and to ascertain how socioeconomic factors influence lifestyle. Methods: As part of the Healthy Ageing in Industrial Environments project, two cohorts were formed from an industrial location and a control region. The cohorts included individuals aged 35 to 65 years. Lifestyle indicators encompassed diet, BMI, alcohol and tobacco consumption, sleep duration, physical activity, and time allocated to hobbies. Influences included region, gender, age, education, familial status, and economic condition. Fully adjusted binary and ordinal logistic regression models were employed for assessment, producing odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The influence of a more polluted industrial area was linked to an elevated BMI (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.08-1.4) and physical activity (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.13-1.51), and unexpectedly, to a lower rate of smoking (OR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.74-0.99). Conclusion: The findings of our research are beneficial for targeting public health initiatives and intervention programs towards specific demographics, and the results will be shared with public awareness organizations focusing on prevention and the physiological components of physical activity.