A multicentre study of air pollution exposure and childhood asthma prevalence: the ESCAPE project

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of six traffic-related air pollution metrics (nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm (PM10), PM2.5, coarse particulate matter and PM2.5 absorbance) on childhood asthma and wheeze prevalence in five European birth cohorts: MAAS (England, UK), BAMSE (Sweden), PIAMA (the Netherlands), GINI and LISA (both Germany, divided into north and south areas).Land-use regression models were developed for each study area and used to estimate outdoor air pollution exposure at the home address of each child. Information on asthma and current wheeze prevalence at the ages of 4-5 and 8-10 years was collected using validated questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyse the association between pollutant exposure and asthma within each cohort. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to combine effect estimates from individual cohorts.The meta-analyses showed no significant association between asthma prevalence and air pollution exposure (e.g. adjusted OR (95%CI) for asthma at age 8-10 years and exposure at the birth address (n=10377): 1.10 (0.81-1.49) per 10 μg·m -3 nitrogen dioxide; 0.88 (0.63-1.24) per 10 μg·m -3 PM10; 1.23 (0.78-1.95) per 5 μg·m -3 PM2.5). This result was consistently found in initial crude models, adjusted models and further sensitivity analyses.This study found no significant association between air pollution exposure and childhood asthma prevalence in five European birth cohorts. @ERSpublications No significant association between air pollution and childhood asthma prevalence in five European birth cohorts

Air Pollution and Childhood Asthma

“…The aim of the study was to examine the effects of six traffic-related air parameters (nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxide, PM 10 , PM 2.5 , total suspended particulates, and PM 2.5 absorbance) on childhood asthma and wheeze prevalence in five European birth cohorts. No significant association between asthma prevalence and air pollution exposure has been found at age 8−10 years and exposure at the birth address [13]. The analysis of the results of both studies emphasizes the necessity of further research on relationship between chemical and physical features of PM and childhood asthma and allergy.…”

Asthma and Air Pollution. Where Are We?

“…For example, in the European ESCAPE study 49 including five cohorts, the authors did not find an association between modelled air pollution and childhood asthma prevalence, but they did not test for proximity to traffic. While the evidence supporting the negative effect of air pollution on asthma incidence is still quite accepted, this issue raises the question of which air pollution element or source is the one causing negative health effects in children, and evidence is pointing to combustion/diesel exhaust.…”

Urban air quality and associations with pediatric multiple sclerosis

“…Chronic exposure has shown to cause epithelium and respiratory alterations2 leading to other chronic health outcomes including nonfatal heart attacks,3 stroke,4 asthma,5, 6 and decreased lung function 7, 8. Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) has also been associated with adverse neurological outcomes including cognitive delays in children,9, 10, 11 dementia and Alzheimers,12, 13, 14 and white matter abnormalities 14, 15, 16.…”