title: Association of indoor nitrogen dioxide with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in children.
abstract: The effect of indoor nitrogen dioxide on the cumulative incidence of respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function level was studied in a cohort of 1,567 white children aged 7-11 years examined in six US cities from 1983 through 1988. Week-long measurements of nitrogen dioxide were obtained at three indoor locations over 2 consecutive weeks in both the winter and the summer months. The household annual average nitrogen dioxide concentration was modeled as a continuous variable and as four ordered categories. Multiple logistic regression analysis of symptom reports from a questionnaire administered after indoor monitoring showed that a 15-ppb increase in the household annual nitrogen dioxide mean was associated with an increased cumulative incidence of lower respiratory symptoms (odds ratio (OR) = 1.4, 95% confidence interval (95% Cl) 1.1-1.7). The response variable indicated the report of one or more of the following symptoms: attacks of shortness of breath with wheeze, chronic wheeze, chronic cough, chronic phlegm, or bronchitis. Girls showed a stronger association (OR = 1.7, 95% Cl 1.3-2.2) than did boys (OR = 1.2, 95% Cl 0.9-1.5). An analysis of pulmonary function measurements showed no consistent effect of nitrogen dioxide. These results are consistent with earlier reports based on categorical indicators of household nitrogen dioxide sources and provide a more specific association with nitrogen dioxide as measured in children's homes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Neas
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Dockery
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Spengler
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Speizer
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Ferris
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide