Subst Use Misuse. 2025 Dec 27:1-8. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2025.2604637. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Evidence on the association between urban regeneration and alcohol use remains limited. This study examines the impact of urban environmental factors, specifically air pollution (measured by PM2.5, a common indicator of fine particulate matter), traffic congestion, and limited green space, on problematic alcohol use, and explores potential social and behavioral mechanisms underlying these relationships.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 11,954 students from 50 universities across 43 Chinese cities. Individual-level data were collected via self-report questionnaires, while regional environmental data were obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the mediating pathways.
RESULTS: The prevalence of problematic alcohol use was 7.3%. Multilevel logistic regression showed that higher PM2.5 levels were positively associated with alcohol use (ORs = 2.98, 3.48), while more green space (ORs = 0.55, 0.23) and a higher proportion of paved roads (OR = 0.37) were protective factors. SEM results indicated that PM2.5 exerted both a direct effect on alcohol use (β = 0.358, p < 0.01) and an indirect effect mediated by uncertainty stress (indirect β = 0.011). Paved road area had a direct effect (β = -0.009, p < 0.01) and indirect effects through uncertainty stress (indirect β = -0.007) and life stress (indirect β = -0.001). Green space directly reduced alcohol use (β = -0.188, p < 0.01) and also indirectly via lower uncertainty stress (indirect β = -0.011).
CONCLUSION: Improving urban environmental quality, especially reducing air pollution and expanding green infrastructure, may help mitigate problematic alcohol use and promote mental health.
PMID:41454707 | DOI:10.1080/10826084.2025.2604637
