School of Economics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Int J Public Health. 2024 Jul 10;69:1607128. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1607128. eCollection 2024.
We investigate the impact of wildfire disasters on cognitive health (i.e., thinking and language skills) in individuals aged 10 years and older using 2014 and 2018 wildfire and cognitive ability survey data from China.
We distinguished wildfires in each county at different wind directions each day by exogenous wind direction changes, and analyzed the effects of wildfires on cognitive abilities through upwind and non-upwind wildfires.
Our analysis shows that for every 10-unit increase in upwind wildfires compared to non-upwind wildfires, respondents' scores on word and math tests decrease by 0.235 and 0.236 standard deviations, respectively. Furthermore, we find that the impact of wildfire on cognitive ability is more pronounced in younger individuals, and those with lower defensive expenditures experience more severe impacts. Additionally, wildfires negatively affect individuals' cognitive abilities by generating air pollution.
Wildfires significantly reduce individuals' cognitive abilities. Two recommendations are as follows: 1) governments should follow the principle of green development, introduce relevant regulations, and increase investment in adaptive technologies. 2) Individuals should raise awareness of climate hazards preparedness and strengthen defensive protection.
利用中国 2014 年和 2018 年野火和认知能力调查数据，研究野火灾害对 10 岁及以上个体认知健康（即思维和语言技能）的影响。
我们通过外生风向变化区分了每天不同风向的每个县的野火，并通过上风和非上风野火分析了野火对认知能力的影响。
我们的分析表明，与非上风野火相比，上风野火每增加 10 个单位，受访者在词汇和数学测试中的得分分别下降 0.235 和 0.236 个标准差。此外，我们发现野火对认知能力的影响在年轻个体中更为明显，防御支出较低的个体受到的影响更为严重。此外，野火通过产生空气污染对个体的认知能力产生负面影响。
野火显著降低了个体的认知能力。有两条建议：1）政府应遵循绿色发展原则，制定相关法规，并增加对适应技术的投资。2）个人应提高对气候危害的准备意识，加强防御保护。
