Integral Health Evaluation of Children Living in an Environment with Different Level of Air Pollution and Socioeconomic Conditions

Abstract

ISEE-0345 Background and Objective: In the recent years, during the transition to market economy, the ecological conditions in Bulgaria were alleviated due to the reduction and shutting down of a number of productions polluting the environment. Several trials showed marked improvement of spirometric indices in children living at reduced levels of air pollution. The socioeconomic situation at that time was characterized with higher rate of unemployment, deficient nutrition and a lot of stress. Having in mind that cardiopulmonary exercise test give integral evaluation of the functional reserve we aimed at measuring the functional capacity of two groups of children living in an environment with different level of air pollution and socioeconomic conditions. Methods: The first group, consisting of 66 clinically healthy children, aged 13.30 ± 0.46 years (X ± SD), was living at higher mean year concentrations of TSPM, Pb, SO2, NO2, NH3 than the second group (61 clinically healthy children aged 13.41 ± 0.50) belonging to families in which the parents had lower level of education. The cardiopulmonary test was carried out on tredmill TrackMaster™, (Jass Fitness Systems, USA) by our modification of the Balke protocol. Results: The children in the second group had higher spirometric indices Tiffneau–89.87 ± 5.52% vs. 87.70 ± 5.80% (X ± SD); MEF50 pred–105.68 ± 20.61% vs. 97.55 ± 22.11% but lower functional capacity VO2max = 2049.17 ± 369.94 vs. 1590.25 ± 345.52 and also VO2max/kg = 24.29 ± 4.05 vs. 31.18 ± 3.18 ml. Conclusion: Children belonging to families with lower socioeconomic status had reduced functional capacity.