{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T16:18:12Z","timestamp":1791389892409,"version":"4.3.3"},"reference-count":65,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776988800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Air pollution lowers life expectancy (LEX) by increasing the risk of respiratory, cardiovascular, and other chronic diseases. However, digitalization can help monitor air quality and support public health awareness through real-time data. Institutional quality ensures effective enforcement of environmental regulations and pollution control policies. Together, they help reduce pollution exposure and protect public health. Therefore, the current study aims to analyze the impact of Air pollution on LEX, with the role of urbanization, digitalization, and institutional quality in BRICS economies. This study employs the Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) model, the Fixed Effects estimator, and the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) technique. The findings indicate that CO\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    emissions have a negative impact on LEX, whereas GDP, urbanization, digitalization, and institutional quality have a positive effect on LEX. This study recommended that policymakers focus on reducing CO\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    emissions by promoting clean energy and enforcing environmental regulations to mitigate their harmful effects on life expectancy. It also emphasized the importance of enhancing urban infrastructure to improve access to healthcare and sanitation. Additionally, the study highlighted the role of digitalization in strengthening health awareness and service delivery, and the need to improve institutional quality for effective health and environmental governance.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1681381","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T05:43:14Z","timestamp":1777009394000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Impact of air pollution on life expectancy: the role of digitalization, urbanization and institutional quality in BRICS economies"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Hong","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Business, Jinggangshan University","place":["Ji\u2019an, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haixiang","family":"Qiao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Finance and Economics, Qingdao Binhai University","place":["Qingdao, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiao","family":"Gu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Urban and Rural Community Governance Modernization Research Center (HOU)","place":["Hangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ijaz","family":"Uddin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Economics, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan","place":["Mardan, KPK, Pakistan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiuping","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Finance and Economics, Qingdao Binhai University","place":["Qingdao, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhenhua","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shaoxing Institute of Technology","place":["Shaoxing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaolan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine)","place":["Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2233","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-022-22338-9","article-title":"The determinants of life expectancy and environmental degradation in Pakistan: evidence from ARDL bounds test approach","volume":"30","author":"Azam","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110528","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-023-30114-6","article-title":"Environmental pollution and life expectancy in Somalia: do renewable energy, urbanization, and economic growth matter?","volume":"30","author":"Warsame","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"342","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2010.10.004","article-title":"Health impact assessment of a reduction in ambient PM2. 5 levels in Spain","volume":"37","author":"Boldo","year":"2011","journal-title":"Environ Int"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1080\/10937404.2014.946164","article-title":"Integrating health on air quality assessment\u2014review report on health risks of two major European outdoor air pollutants: PM and NO2","volume":"17","author":"Costa","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Toxic Environ Health, Part B"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"369","DOI":"10.1080\/10937404.2014.976893","article-title":"A curated review of recent literature of biomarkers used for assessing air pollution exposures and effects in humans","volume":"17","author":"de Oliveira","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Toxic Environ Health, Part B"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"709","DOI":"10.1080\/10473289.2006.10464485","article-title":"Health effects of fine particulate air pollution: lines that connect","volume":"56","author":"Pope","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Air Waste Manage Assoc"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"567","DOI":"10.1080\/15287394.2018.1460788","article-title":"Fine particulate air pollution associated with increased risk of hospital admissions for hypertension in a tropical city, Kaohsiung, Taiwan","volume":"81","author":"Tsai","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Toxicol Environ Health A"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rser.2016.11.089","article-title":"CO2 emissions, energy consumption, economic growth, and financial development in GCC countries: dynamic simultaneous equation models","volume":"70","author":"Bekhet","year":"2017","journal-title":"Renew Sust Energ Rev"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1186\/s43093-022-00179-9","article-title":"Impact of CO2 emission on life expectancy in India: an autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) bound test approach","volume":"9","author":"Das","year":"2023","journal-title":"Future Bus J"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"833","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scs.2018.04.034","article-title":"Environmental pollution, health expenditure and economic growth in the sub-Saharan Africa countries: panel ARDL approach","volume":"41","author":"Zaidi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sustain Cities Soc"},{"key":"ref11","first-page":"57","article-title":"Environmental quality and its human health effects: a causal analysis for the EU-25","volume":"13","author":"Balan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Appl Econ"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"489","DOI":"10.32479\/ijeep.9177","article-title":"Carbon emissions, agricultural output and life expectancy in West Africa","volume":"10","author":"Matthew","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Energy Econ Policy"},{"key":"ref13","first-page":"61","article-title":"Economic growth and carbon emission in Nigeria","volume":"14","author":"Mesagan","year":"2015","journal-title":"IUP J Appl Econ"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.32479\/ijeep.10834","article-title":"Carbon emissions and life expectancy in Nigeria","volume":"11","author":"Osabohien","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Energy Econ Policy"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0262802","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0262802","article-title":"Determinants of life expectancy in most polluted countries: exploring the effect of environmental degradation","volume":"17","author":"Rahman","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref16","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8142","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-019-07457-0","article-title":"Health care expenditure and environmental pollution: a cross-country comparison across different income groups","volume":"27","author":"Apergis","year":"2020","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"362","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2007.06.012","article-title":"Human health effects of air pollution","volume":"151","author":"Kampa","year":"2008","journal-title":"Environ Pollut"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"376","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMsa0805646","article-title":"Fine-particulate air pollution and life expectancy in the United States","volume":"360","author":"Pope","year":"2009","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2671","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sbspro.2010.03.393","article-title":"Technology readiness of primary school teachers: a case study in Turkey","volume":"2","author":"Summak","year":"2010","journal-title":"Procedia Soc Behav Sci"},{"key":"ref21","first-page":"1","article-title":"Exploring the relationship between ICTs and public health at country level: a health analytics approach","volume":"8","author":"Raghupathi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int J Healthc Inf Syst Inf (IJHISI)"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2225723","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/2225723","article-title":"The impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on health outcomes: a mediating effect analysis based on cross-national panel data","volume":"2022","author":"Shao","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Environ Public Health"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2242","DOI":"10.2196\/jmir.2242","article-title":"A panel analysis of the strategic association between information and communication technology and public health delivery","volume":"14","author":"Wu","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"128","DOI":"10.61093\/hem.2024.3-09","article-title":"The impact of digitalisation on social determinants of public health","volume":"5","author":"Dobrovolska","year":"2024","journal-title":"Health Econ Manag Rev"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"461829","DOI":"10.1155\/2013\/461829","article-title":"Using information and communication technology in home care for communication between patients, family members, and healthcare professionals: a systematic review","volume":"2013","author":"Lindberg","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int J Telemed Appl"},{"key":"ref26","volume-title":"Mobile Applications for the Health Sector","author":"Qiang","year":"2011"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1145564","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1145564","article-title":"Information and communication technology development and health gap nexus in Africa","volume":"11","author":"Megbowon","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102064","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scs.2020.102064","article-title":"Linking urbanization, human capital, and the ecological footprint in G7 countries: an empirical analysis","volume":"55","author":"Ahmed","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sustain Cities Soc"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"jphr-2020","DOI":"10.4081\/jphr.2020.1893","article-title":"Modifiable risk factors and overall cardiovascular mortality: moderation of urbanization","volume":"9","author":"Sajid","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Public Health Res"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1553039","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1553039","article-title":"Air pollution and life expectancy: the role of education and health expenditure in China","volume":"13","author":"Zhang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"588","DOI":"10.3390\/world5030030","article-title":"Carbon emissions, health expenditure, and economic effects on life expectancy in Malaysia","volume":"5","author":"Redzwan","year":"2024","journal-title":"WORLD"},{"key":"ref32","volume-title":"World Urbanization Prospects 2018: Highlights","year":"2019"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2022.02.034","article-title":"The association of depression and all-cause mortality: explanatory factors and the influence of gender","volume":"303","author":"Wicke","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17964","DOI":"10.1007\/s10668-021-01423-y","article-title":"Investigation of the urbanization contribution to the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran and the MECA countries","volume":"23","author":"Bijari","year":"2021","journal-title":"Environ Dev Sustain"},{"key":"ref35","first-page":"35","volume-title":"Natural Resources Forum","author":"Azam","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"456","DOI":"10.1007\/s43621-024-00706-4","article-title":"Examining the interplay between green technology, CO2 emissions, and life expectancy in the asean-5 countries: insights from the panel FMOLS and DOLS approaches","volume":"5","author":"Shaari","year":"2024","journal-title":"Discover Sustain"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"87568","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-022-21872-w","article-title":"Beyond COP26: can income level moderate fossil fuels, carbon emissions, and human capital for healthy life expectancy in Africa?","volume":"29","author":"Ibrahim","year":"2022","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res"},{"key":"ref38","first-page":"1795","volume-title":"Nat Resour Forum","author":"Guo","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0293451","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0293451","article-title":"The dynamics of carbon emissions, energy, income, and life expectancy: regional comparative analysis","volume":"19","author":"Osei-Kusi","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.34172\/doh.2022.05","article-title":"The impact of information and communication technology on life expectancy in the Middle East","volume":"13","author":"Ronaghi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Depiction Health"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1007\/s11135-018-0741-6","article-title":"Do information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to health outcomes? An empirical analysis","volume":"53","author":"Majeed","year":"2019","journal-title":"Qual Quant"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"897","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-18323-1","article-title":"ICT penetration and life expectancy in emerging market economies: panel evidence from asymmetric causality analysis","volume":"24","author":"Bayar","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"569","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-025-21760-1","article-title":"Spatiotemporal effect of internet use on life expectancy: cross-country insight from a geographically and temporally weighted analysis","volume":"25","author":"Pu","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101511","DOI":"10.1016\/j.techsoc.2020.101511","article-title":"The effects of digital inclusion and ICT access on the quality of life: a global perspective","volume":"64","author":"Alhassan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Technol Soc"},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1057\/s41599-023-02005-1","article-title":"Impact of urbanization and income inequality on life expectancy of male and female in South Asian countries: a moderating role of health expenditures","volume":"10","author":"Ahmad","year":"2023","journal-title":"Humanit Soc Sci Commun"},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"126","DOI":"10.37231\/apj.2024.7.1.605","article-title":"The impacts of urbanization and economic growth on LIFE expectancy in the ASEAN-5 countries","volume":"7","author":"Amin","year":"2024","journal-title":"Asian People J (APJ)"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"387","DOI":"10.1080\/00324728.2018.1549746","article-title":"The contribution of urbanization to changes in life expectancy in Scotland, 1861\u20131910","volume":"73","author":"Torres","year":"2019","journal-title":"Popul Stud"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1635","DOI":"10.1007\/s11869-025-01714-7","article-title":"Quality of governance and urbanization as moderators in the relationship between air quality, inclusive development, and life expectancy","volume":"18","author":"Erum","year":"2025","journal-title":"Air Qual Atmos Health"},{"key":"ref49","first-page":"346","article-title":"The effect of inflation, health expenditure and urbanization on life expectancy in the Middle East and North Africa countries (MENA)","volume":"15","author":"Panahi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Payesh (Health Monitor)"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2014.03.142","article-title":"A study of air pollutants influencing life expectancy and longevity from spatial perspective in China","volume":"487","author":"Wang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1111\/opec.12212","article-title":"The role of income level and institutional quality in the non-renewable energy consumption and life expectancy nexus: evidence from selected oil-producing economies in Africa","volume":"45","author":"Ibrahim","year":"2021","journal-title":"OPEC Energy Rev"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11289","DOI":"10.1007\/s10668-023-03283-0","article-title":"Revisiting the determinants of life expectancy in Asia\u2014exploring the role of institutional quality, financial development, and environmental degradation","volume":"26","author":"Uddin","year":"2024","journal-title":"Environ Dev Sustain"},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e20251","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2023.e20251","article-title":"What is the role of institutional quality in health outcomes? A panel data analysis on 158 countries from 2001-2020","volume":"9","author":"Hadipour","year":"2023","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1186\/s13705-024-00507-7","article-title":"Renewable energy consumption, institutional quality and life expectancy in EU countries: a cointegration analysis","volume":"15","author":"Vatamanu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Energy Sustain Soc"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e21084","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2023.e21084","article-title":"The impact of financial development, health expenditure, CO2 emissions, institutional quality, and energy mix on life expectancy in Eastern Europe: CS-ARDL and quantile regression approaches","volume":"9","author":"Nica","year":"2023","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1080\/21665095.2022.2032237","article-title":"An investigation of relationship between global economic sanction and life expectancy: do financial and institutional system matter?","volume":"9","author":"Ha","year":"2022","journal-title":"Dev Stud Res"},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1098","DOI":"10.1007\/s13132-018-0525-1","article-title":"Does environmental degradation, institutional quality, and economic development matter for health? Evidence from African countries","volume":"10","author":"Dhrifi","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Knowl Econ"},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.1086\/259880","article-title":"On the concept of health capital and the demand for health","volume":"80","author":"Grossman","year":"1972","journal-title":"J Polit Econ"},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1002\/jae.951","article-title":"A simple panel unit root test in the presence of cross-section dependence","volume":"22","author":"Pesaran","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Appl Econ"},{"key":"ref60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/s0304-4076(98)00023-2","article-title":"Spurious regression and residual-based tests for cointegration in panel data","volume":"90","author":"Kao","year":"1999","journal-title":"J Econom"},{"key":"ref61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1111\/1468-0084.0610s1631","article-title":"A comparative study of unit root tests with panel data and a new simple test","volume":"61","author":"Maddala","year":"1999","journal-title":"Oxf Bull Econ Stat"},{"key":"ref62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resglo.2023.100137","article-title":"Enhancing institutional quality to boost economic development in developing nations: new insights from CS-ARDL approach","volume":"7","author":"Uddin","year":"2023","journal-title":"Res Glob"},{"key":"ref63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"38349","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-022-25049-3","article-title":"Environmental effects of ICT diffusion, energy consumption, financial development, and globalization: panel evidence from SAARC economies","volume":"30","author":"Verma","year":"2023","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res"},{"key":"ref64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15579883261420408","DOI":"10.1177\/15579883261420408","article-title":"Do environmental degradation, ICT, health expenditure, and institutional quality affect life expectancy?","volume":"20","author":"Zhang","year":"2026","journal-title":"Am J Mens Health"},{"key":"ref65","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"393-420","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jeconom.2015.03.007","article-title":"Common correlated effects estimation of heterogeneous dynamic panel data models with weakly exogenous regressors","volume":"188","author":"Chudik","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of econometrics"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1681381\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T05:43:19Z","timestamp":1777009399000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1681381\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]]},"references-count":65,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1681381"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1681381","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]]},"article-number":"1681381"}}