IOL featured research from Muzhe Yang, professor of economics, in the article "Light pollution could increase preterm birth study finds."
Yang's research examined the fetal health impact of light pollution based on a direct measure of skyglow — an important aspect of light pollution, reported IOL.
"While greater use of artificial light at night (ALAN) is often associated with greater economic prosperity, our study highlights an often neglected health benefit of 'darkness,'" said Yang.
The study, published in the Southern Economic Journal, found that the likelihood of a preterm birth could increase by approximately 1.48 per cent points (or 12.9 per cent) as a result of increased nighttime brightness.
The full article can be read on the IOL website.