Abstract
BackgroundConcentrations of ambient air pollution and pollutants in China have changed considerably during the last decade. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of current ambient air pollution on the health of kindergarten children.MethodsWe studied 6730 Chinese children (age, 3–7 years) from 50 kindergartens in 7 cities of Northeast China in 2009. Parents or guardians completed questionnaires that asked about the children’s histories of respiratory symptoms and risk factors. Three-year concentrations of particles with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 µm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxides (NO2) were calculated at monitoring stations in 25 study districts. A 2-stage regression approach was used in data analyses.ResultsThe prevalence of respiratory symptoms was higher among children living near a busy road, those living near chimneys or a factory, those having a coal-burning device, those living with smokers, and those living in a home that had been recently renovated. Among girls, PM10 was associated with persistent cough (odds ratio [OR]PM10 = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.18–1.77), persistent phlegm (ORPM10 = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02–1.81), and wheezing (ORPM10 = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.04–1.65). NO2 concentration was associated with increased prevalence of allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.96; 95% CI, 1.27–3.02) among girls. In contrast, associations of respiratory symptoms with concentrations of PM10, SO2, and NO2 were not statistically significant among boys.ConclusionsAir pollution is particularly important in the development of respiratory morbidity among children. Girls may be more susceptible than boys to air pollution.
Highlights
The health effects of exposure to ambient air pollutants have been investigated in numerous epidemiologic studies,[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] which largely agree that exposure to certain ambient pollutants adversely affects public health
We studied the relationship between district-specific ambient levels of pollutants and prevalence rates of the following questionnaire-based morbidity end-points: persistent cough, persistent phlegm, asthma symptoms, current asthma, wheezing, and allergic rhinitis
Effects of household and personal characteristics Interestingly, breast-feeding was associated with decreased odds ratio (OR) for persistent cough, persistent phlegm, asthma, and wheezing, and which suggests that breast milk has favorable effects
Summary
The health effects of exposure to ambient air pollutants (eg, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide [SO2], and nitrogen oxide [NOx]) have been investigated in numerous epidemiologic studies,[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] which largely agree that exposure to certain ambient pollutants adversely affects public health. The available data have limitations, including interference from confounding effects due to ethnic, demographic, and other factors that affect susceptibility to pollution; differences among questionnaires in the definitions of respiratory symptoms and diseases; and lack of appropriate exposure ranges in cross-sectional studies. Due to a concomitant increase in motor-vehicle traffic during recent years, traffic-related air pollution poses a serious problem in China. Few studies have evaluated the effects of current ambient air pollution on the health of kindergarten children. Methods: We studied 6730 Chinese children (age, 3–7 years) from 50 kindergartens in 7 cities of Northeast China in 2009. Associations of respiratory symptoms with concentrations of PM10, SO2, and NO2 were not statistically significant among boys. Girls may be more susceptible than boys to air pollution
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