The mediating role of health status in the relationship between indoor air pollution and life satisfaction among older adults in India

Background This research examines the link between indoor air pollution and overall contentment in life, considering health status as an intervening variable. Methods It utilizes a mediation analysis approach, drawing on data from 1 ^st wave of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) carried out in 2017-18, involving a cohort of 29,517 individuals aged 60 and older. The analysis proceeds through three models: first, examining the direct association of indoor air pollution with life satisfaction; second, assessing the impact of pollution on health; and third, integrating both to evaluate the mediation effect. Results Findings indicate a significant negative direct association of pollution with life satisfaction, with an association strength of -0.55(95%CI:-0.75 to -0.35, p < 0.001), and on health, with an association strength of -0.05(95%CI:-0.07 to -0.05, p < 0.001). Additionally, the mediation analysis, supported by the Sobel-Goodman Mediation Test (Z = -4.298, p < 0.001), reveals that health mediates 12.9% of the total impact of indoor pollution on life satisfaction. Conclusions These results underscore the critical role of health as a mediator in this relationship. Interventions aimed at reducing indoor air pollution could significantly enhance the well-being of older adults by improving their health.