Parental Advice About HK

I have been offered what I can safely say is a dream job opportunity in Hong Kong, financially, career enhancement-wise and job-duties wise. I currently live in a very desirable part of the US where I have a decent career, but not nearly the opportunity presented in HK.


Predictably, my main issue with coming to HK is the air pollution. I have two young children and am absolutely not inclined to come to HK, career notwithstanding, if I feel in any way, shape or form, I am harming my children's health and development (they are both in their pre-school formative years).


While I understand the pollution is a serious issue, I have heard it described in various degrees - from something that can be mitigated to safe levels (albeit not eliminated) depending on where you live to tumors waiting to happen. I have also heard it said that the air quality a few weeks back before the typhoon was about as bad as it gets, only to hear others say it gets worse in winter and there is no hiding from it.


Am I putting my children in harm's way (irreparably or otherwise) if I pursue this opportunity? What do parents' think and how serious are your concerns living in HK?


Thanks for your thoughts in advance!


Concerned Parent.

Depends where you live. You can go and live on an island where the air is clear, or you can live in the city where you will be breathing in filth. It doesn't bother me, but then I live on an outlying island. If you live and work in Central HK and go shopping at the weekend then you may want to think about if this is good for you/your kids. If you live somewhere else and spend the weekends in the country then it's fine. Hk is very safe place - what you lose in air quality you gain in the almost complete absence of violent crime. Swings and roundabouts.

Thanks.



We would be thinking of living on the south side of HK island, or perhaps the Cyberport area. The children would go to school on the south side or in the Happy Valley area. As much as possible I would keep them out of the North side of the island and Kowloon/NT. Does it truly make a difference? I have heard some say you can't escape the poison no matter where you live.


I am less concerned about my risks (I am taking that risk by working in Central), it is my spouse and children I am keen on protecting.

At our recent pollution conference I asked Tony Hedley, Chair Professor Department of Community Medicine at The University of Hong Kong if there were any areas of HK that were signicantly safer that others and his response was: Not really, some areas are marginally better but the air quality even in these districts is still at dangerous levels...

Agree with Ed. Where yr children will be going to school isn't better at all and they spend almost the whole day there. My daughter is 7 and she was born here. She is actually quite a healthy child. However, she occasionally will have allergic cough which is very very common here. Every doctor I see tells me that it comes with HK and there is nothing I can do about it.

I'm not an expert but I would disagree. There is a huge difference in the air quality where I live when I compare it to other areas of HK. Where I am the air appears to be no worse than your average UK town, and probably better than most of those. But then I don't live on HK island, either side.

Have any studies been done on the effects of a 2-3 year exposure to this type of air quality or is this too recent a phenomenon for studying the long-term effects of short-term exposure?

Strong9, have you ever been to HK to experience the pollution yourself? If not I would suggest you come over before making a decision. I have been here for over 10years and got a 13 months old son. We live close to Cyberport and I'm sure, even so I'm not an expert that the airquality is better here then living in the midst of Central or Mong Kok. My little guy is very healthy and has no respiratory problems at all. Unfortunately I have no information about the long term effect. I hardly ever go into town with him but prefer to go hiking or to the beaches at the weekends. I got asthma (had it before coming to HK) which gets worse in the winter time. Same happens to me in the US or Europe due to cold wheater and dry air. I agree with Cara, if I thought that my son was in serious danger I also wouldn't wait but leave immediately. Again, I don't know about the long term effects. Personally, if I were you I would take the opportunity your company is offering you.

There are a number of studies on the effects of pollution on children.


Mott,L, et al, Our Children at Risk: The 5 Worst Environmental Threats to their Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, USA, Nov 1997


Bates, D, The Effects of Air Pollution on Children, Environmental Health Perspectives, 1995, Vol 103, Supp, 6, pp 49-54


Saldiva PH, et al, Association Between Air Pollution and Mortality Due to Respiratory Diseases in Children in Sao Paolo, Brazil, A Preliminary Report, Environmental Research, 1994, Vol 65, pp 2188-225


Ware, JH, et al, Effects of Ambient Sulfur Oxides and Suspended Particles on Respiratory Health of Pre-adolescent Children, American Review of Respiratory Disease, 1986; 133: 834-42


Dockery D, et al, Effects of Inhalable Particles on Respiratory Health of Children, American Review of Respiratory Disease, 1989; 139: 587-94


Pope and Dockery, Acute Health Effects of PM10 Pollution on Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Children, American Review of Respiratory Disease, 1992; 145: 1123-28


He, QC et al, Effects of Air Pollution on Children's Pulmonary Function in Urban and Suburban Areas of Wuhan, People's Republic of China, Archives of Environmental Health, 1993; 48: 382-91



A Hong Kong study of primary school children in two districts found significantly increased respiratory symptoms (sore throat, cough, morning phlegm, wheeze) in children living in the more polluted area, even when factors such as socioeconomic status and exposure to cigarette smoke were controlled for.

(Ong, SG et al, Studies on the Respiratory Health of Primary School Children in Urban Communities in Hong Kong, The Science of the Total Environment, 1991; 106: 121-135)


And another Hong Kong study showed higher levels of bronchial hyper-reactivity (BHR, possible antecedent to asthma) in children living in a more polluted area.

(Tam AYC et al, Bronchial Responsiveness in Children Exposed to Atmospheric Pollution in Hong Kong, Chest, 1994; 106; 1056-60)


I have lived in Hong Kong for some twenty years and the pollution becomes worse each year. Three years ago I "lost" my GP who decided to leave HK because of concerns over children's health. I also said goodbye to friends who had lived here for over 30 years - the pollution worsened the wife's asthma to the point she had to keep an oxygen cylinder at home. HK was the place they had hoped to spent their retirement.


For most people HK is about making money today; it's not about tomorrow. As long as there is money to be made, people (and the government) will push the pollution problem to background.

Thanks everyone. In answer to some of the questions posed, I have been to HK and while I was there, some of the bad days absolutely were appalling. It was so bad, that one couldn't see half the city. I have explored other parts of the island and across the bay, but based on what I have found, most of the good schools are in the so-called problem areas and not in the places where the air is cleaner.


I have seen air quality is better on the other side of the island though.



Claire, thank you very much. I will read those articles.


For the record, my spouse was raised in a very polluted city and is absolutely fine. However, I spent a few of my formative years in that same city and other polluted ones and developed bronchial asthma. It went away when we moved to our current city, and I don't mind having to deal with it for a few years in HK. There are ways to mitigate its effects (such as being in better shape).


What I don't want is for 2-3 years in HK to result in the same problem for my children so that it is something they have to live with the rest of their lives. I don't think any amount of professional success makes up for that.


Thanks again all for your insights.