Eur Respir J 2003; 21:956-963
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2003
Urban traffic and pollutant exposure related to respiratory outcomes and atopy in a large sample of children
T. Nicolai1,
D. Carr1,
S.K. Weiland2,
H. Duhme3,
O. von Ehrenstein1,
C. Wagner1 and
E. von Mutius1
1 University Children's Hospital, Munich, 2 Dept of Epidemiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, 3 Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
CORRESPONDENCE: T. Nicolai, University Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany. Fax: 49 8951604409. E-mail: tnicolai@kk-i.med.uni-muenchen.de
Keywords: asthma, atopy, children, pollutants, respiratory, traffic
Received: May 17, 2002
Accepted January 6, 2003
Conflicting results have been reported for the relationship between traffic exposure and inception of atopy. The effect of traffic on the prevalence of asthma and atopy at school age was investigated in a representative population.
Random samples of schoolchildren (n=7,509, response rate 83.7%) were studied using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood phase-II protocol with skin-prick tests, measurements of specific immunoglobulin E and lung function. Traffic exposure was assessed via traffic counts and by an emission model which predicted soot, benzene and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
Traffic counts were associated with current asthma, wheeze and cough. In children with tobacco-smoke exposure, traffic volume was additionally associated with a positive skin-prick test. Cough was associated with soot, benzene and NO2, current asthma with soot and benzene, and current wheeze with benzene and NO2. No pollutant was associated with allergic sensitisation.
High vehicle traffic was associated with asthma, cough and wheeze, and in children additionally exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, with allergic sensitisation. However, effects of socioeconomic factors associated with living close to busy roads cannot be ruled out.
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Copyright © 2003 by the European Respiratory Society.
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