Objective air quality index versus subjective perception: which has a greater impact on life satisfaction?

Xingmin Shi (), Xueping Li (), Xieyang Chen () and Luping Zhang ()
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Xingmin Shi: Shaanxi Normal University
Xueping Li: Shaanxi Normal University
Xieyang Chen: Shaanxi Normal University
Luping Zhang: Shaanxi Normal University

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2022, vol. 24, issue 5, No 36, 6860-6877

Abstract: Abstract Although the PM2.5 concept was put forward in 1997, it came into Chinese people's sight in 2011, and became a household name in 2013 in China. Previous studies did not involve this indicator, so we need to re-examine and compare the effects of objective air quality data and subjective perception on Life satisfaction (LS). The data were collected from Xi'an, a megacity of Northwest China. Particles smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and Air quality index (AQI) acquired from air quality stations were used to calculate pollutant concentrations near the vicinity of subjects’ home by Geographical information system (GIS) software. In this paper, the ordinal logistic regression models are used to explain ratings of LS in terms of the objective air pollution data, social and economic variables. The results indicate that the objective air pollution data has significant and negative effects on LS of the surveyed respondents. However, when the subjective perception of air pollution is considered in the regression models, it shows that the subjective perception of air pollution has a significant negative impact on LS, while the effects of PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and AQI on the LS become insignificant. Furthermore, the research significances and policy suggestions are discussed in this paper. Graphic abstract

Keywords: Life satisfaction; Subjective well-being; Air quality; Perception of air pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01730-4

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