Abstract
Automobile exhaust is considered to be a potential risk factor for respiratory diseases. To investigate the effects of traffic-related air pollution on respiratory symptoms among children who lived near trunk roads, we conducted a cohort study on 2,506 schoolchildren in eight different communities in Japan. Over that four-year period, the prevalence of asthma was higher among girls who lived less than 50 m from trunk roads (roadside areas) than among girls in the other areas studied. Testing for trends showed that the prevalence of asthma among girls increased significantly with increases in the concentration of air pollution in each area. Among boys, the prevalence of asthma did not differ in relation to the distance from roads, although the rate was higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The incidence of asthma during the follow-up period significantly increased among boys living in roadside areas relative to rural areas (odds ratio = 3.75; 95% confidence interval: 1.00-14.06). Among girls, the incidence of asthma also increased (odds ratio = 4.06; 95% confidence interval:0.91-18.10), although the risk was not significant. These findings suggest that traffic-related air pollution may be of particular importance in the development of asthma among children living near major trunk roads with heavy traffic.
Highlights
Automobile exhaust is considered to be a potential risk factor for respiratory diseases
The percentage of children who were followed was highest in the rural areas, there was no difference between roadside and non-roadside areas in urban communities
The prevalence and incidence of asthma increased among children who lived near trunk roads with heavy traffic
Summary
Data from automobile exhaust monitoring pared the prevalence and incidence of respiratory symptoms for roadside, non-roadside, and rural areas. For children from whom questionnaires were available in all four surveys, the prevalence of asthma and wheeze in each survey was compared in relation to the location of the home separately by sex. The incidence rate of asthma or wheeze during the follow-up period was compared in relation to the location of the home among children who had no symptoms in the first survey. As independent variables the models included the location of the home, school grade, history of allergic diseases, respiratory diseases before the age of two years, feeding method in infancy, parental history of allergic diseases, maternal smoking habits, structure of the house, and type of heating appliance. All analyses were conducted using SAS® software (Version 6, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC)
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