Dataset Information

Air pollution and lung function in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The association of long-term air pollution and lung function has not been studied across adult European multi-national populations before. The aim of this study was to determine the association between long-term urban background air pollution and lung function levels, as well as change in lung function among European adults.

Methods

Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and the ratio thereof (FEV1/FVC) were assessed at baseline and after 9 years of follow-up in adults from 21 European centres (followed-up sample 5610). Fine particles (PM(2.5)) were measured in 2000/2001 using central monitors.

Results

Despite sufficient statistical power no significant associations were found between city-specific annual mean PM(2.5) and average lung function levels. The findings also do not support an effect on change in lung function, albeit statistical power was insufficient to significantly detect such an association.

Conclusions

The inability to refuse the null hypothesis may reflect (i) no effect of urban air pollution on lung function or (ii) inherent biases due to the study design. Examples of the latter are lack of individual-level air quality assignment, not quantified within-city contrasts in traffic-related pollution, or the heterogeneity of the studied populations and their urban environments. Future studies on long-term effects of air pollution on lung function could increase statistical power and reduce potential misclassification and confounding by characterizing exposure on the level of individuals, capturing contrasts due to local sources, in particular traffic.

SUBMITTER: Gotschi T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2734069 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Air pollution and lung function in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.

Götschi Thomas T Sunyer Jordi J Chinn Susan S de Marco Roberto R Forsberg Bertil B Gauderman James W JW Garcia-Esteban Raquel R Heinrich Joachim J Jacquemin Bénédicte B Jarvis Deborah D Ponzio Michela M Villani Simona S Künzli Nino N

International journal of epidemiology 20080701 6

<h4>Background</h4>The association of long-term air pollution and lung function has not been studied across adult European multi-national populations before. The aim of this study was to determine the association between long-term urban background air pollution and lung function levels, as well as change in lung function among European adults.<h4>Methods</h4>Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and the ratio thereof (FEV1/FVC) were assessed at baseline and after 9 ...[more]

PMID: 18593748

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Project description:BackgroundHeavy industry emits many potentially hazardous pollutants into the air which can affect health. However, the effects of air pollution from heavy industry on lung function and respiratory symptoms have been investigated scarcely. Our aim was to investigate the associations of long-term air pollution from heavy industry with lung function and respiratory symptoms in school children.MethodsA cross-sectional lung function study was conducted among school children (7-13 years) in the vicinity of an area with heavy industry. Lung function measurements were conducted during school hours. Parents of the children were asked to complete a questionnaire about the health of their children. A dispersion model was used to characterize the additional individual-level exposures to air pollutants from the industry in the area. Associations between PM2.5 and NOX exposure with lung function and presence of respiratory symptoms were investigated by linear and/or logistic regression analysis.ResultsParticipation in the lung function measurements and questionnaires was 84% (665/787) and 77% (603/787), respectively. The range of the elevated PM2.5 and NOX five years average concentrations (2008-2012) due to heavy industry were 0.04-1.59 ?g/m3 and 0.74-11.33 ?g/m3 respectively. After adjustment for confounders higher exposure to PM2.5 and NOX (per interquartile range of 0.56 and 7.43 ?g/m3 respectively) was associated with lower percent predicted peak expiratory flow (PEF) (B -2.80%, 95%CI -5.05% to -?0.55% and B -3.67%, 95%CI -6.93% to -?0.42% respectively). Higher exposure to NOX (per interquartile range of 7.43 ?g/m3) was also associated with lower percent forced vital capacity (FVC) and percent predicted forced expiration volume in 1 s (FEV1) (B -2.30, 95% CI -4.55 to -?0.05 and B -2.73, 95%CI -5.21 to -?0.25 respectively). No significant associations were found between the additional exposure to PM2.5 or NOX and respiratory symptoms except for PM2.5 and dry cough (OR 1.40, 95%CI 1.00 to 1.94).ConclusionExposure to PM2.5 and NOX from industry was associated with decreased lung function. Exposure to PM2.5 was also associated with parents' reports of dry cough among their children.

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Dataset Information

Air pollution and lung function in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Air pollution and lung function in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.

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