Abstract

Objectives: Few reviews have synthesized the association between outdoor air pollution and health/quality of life in Low-to-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
Content: We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles to summarize current research regarding the impact of outdoor air pollution on health and quality of life of individuals in LMICs. Electronic and manual searches were performed until November 2023. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.
Summary and outlook: 81 final studies were included after following PRISMA guidelines. The literature showed that the negative impacts of air pollution on health/quality of life in LMICs are greater compared to High-Income Countries. Due to resource limitations, LMICs lack resources and medical infrastructure to respond to the global trend of poorer air quality. Therefore, well-designed, cost-effective, and monitored inventions are required to combat this crisis. Furthermore, additional research to monitor air quality of life is required to identify policy changes that can decrease region-specific/population-driven impacts of air pollution.

Keywords:Air pollution; Public health; Low-to-middle income countries; Quality of life; Environmental health; Global health; Climate change; Health policy