The Impact of Air Pollution on Quality of Life of the Population
- VernacularTitle:Хүн амын амьдралын чанарт агаарын бохирдлын үзүүлэх нөлөө
- Author:
Enkhnomin E
1
;
Enkhjargal A
2
;
Burmaajav B
1
Author Information
1. Ach Medical University
2. National Center for Public Health
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
air pollution;
quality of life;
intervention for replacing raw coal;
PM10
- From:Mongolian Medical Sciences
2026;216(2):51-59
- CountryMongolia
- Language:Mongolian
-
Abstract:
Background:According to the World Health Organization, quality of life is defined as an individual's
perception of their position in life within the context of the culture and value systems in which
they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. Although
numerous epidemiological studies have been conducted worldwide and in Mongolia to
investigate the health effects of air pollution, studies examining its impact on the quality of
life of the population before and after intervention measures remain limited. Therefore, this
study aims to determine the influence of air pollution on the quality of life of residents.
Objective:The objective of this study was to assess the quality of life of residents of Chingeltei District,
Ulaanbaatar, and to compare their quality of life before and after the implementation of air
pollution reduction interventions.
Materials and Methods:A total of 330 residents participated in the study, including 165 participants surveyed in 2016
and 165 participants surveyed in 2026. The general characteristics of participants, including
age, sex, educational level, marital status, and self-rated health status, were comparable
between the 2016 and 2026 surveys. Overall, 47.9% of participants were male and 52.1%
were female. In 2016, males accounted for 47.3% and females for 52.7% of the sample. No
statistically significant difference was observed in the sex distribution between the two study
periods.
Results:The mean scores for Domain 1 (Physical Health) and Domain 2 (Psychological Well-being)
of quality of life were similar in both survey years, whereas the Social Relationships domain
showed improvement. The overall quality of life score increased slightly in 2026 compared
with 2016. Furthermore, a one-unit increase in ambient PM₁₀ concentration was associated
with an average decrease of 0.123 units in the overall quality of life score. Quality of life
was also associated with age, marital status, educational attainment, and self-rated health
status. In particular, older individuals and those who perceived their health as poor tended
to report lower quality of life scores. These findings indicate that both health-related and
socioeconomic factors play important roles in determining quality of life.
Conclusion:The quality of life of residents of Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar, who participated in the study
is expected to improve following the implementation of air pollution reduction interventions.
The quality of life of the study participants was found to be at a moderate level and was
influenced by factors such as age, marital status, and educational attainment.
Ambient air pollution was found to have a direct impact on the quality of life of the participants.
In particular, an increase in PM₁₀ particulate matter concentration was associated with a decline in quality of life.
- Full text:2026101821034876614MMS-2026-216(2)-51-59.pdf
