A Hazy Future: Exploring the Effect of Air Pollution on Child Development in Indonesia

Air pollution is a significant issue in emerging economies like Indonesia, with detrimental effects on human health. This study aimed to analyse the impact of air pollution on child development, using various datasets and employing an instrumental variable approach. The findings revealed that an increase of 1 μg/m3 in regional PM 2.5 concentration had a significant negative effect on child growth, reducing height-for-age and weight-for-age scores by 0.08 standard deviations. No significant impact was observed on the stunting variable. The study also found that girls were particularly susceptible to impaired child development due to air pollution. These results emphasize the need for policies targeting air pollution reduction to support healthy child development, especially in low-income households.