Research Finds Link Between Air Pollution, Absences from School

Children are more likely to be absent from school when certain types of air pollution increase--at least in Texas.  A new study compared data from 39 of Texas' biggest school districts.  Findings show that kids seem particularly sensitive to pollution and that it does impact their overall health--especially among those with respiratory-related illnesses such as asthma.  When pollution decreases, the absences decreased as well. Researchers understand that absences can be attributed to a number of other factors as well, and that the rate varies by seasons, but it does seem to be another indication on air quality and our children's overall health. The study was conducted by Steven Rivkin, a professor at Amherst College in Massachusetts, along with a team of coauthors.