Nitrogen dioxide exposure assessment and cough among preschool children.
The association between exposure to ambient air nitrogen dioxide and cough was evaluated in a panel study among 162 children aged 3-6 y. The weekly average nitrogen dioxide exposure was assessed with Palmes-tube measurements in three ways: (1) personally, (2) outside day-care centers, and (3) inside day-care centers. Ambient air nitrogen dioxide concentrations were obtained from the local network that monitored air quality. The parents recorded cough episodes daily in a diary. The risk of cough increased significantly (relative risk = 3.63; 95% confidence interval = 1.41, 9.30) in the highest personal nitrogen dioxide exposure category in winter, and a nonsignificant positive trend was noted for the other assessment groups. In spring, risk increased nonsignificantly in all exposure-assessment groups, except for the fixed-site monitoring assessment. It is important that investigators select an exposure-assessment method sufficiently accurate to reflect the effective pollutant dose in subjects.
Mukala
K
K
Department of Environmental Medicine, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland.
Alm
S
S
Tiittanen
P
P
Salonen
R O
RO
Jantunen
M
M
Pekkanen
J
J
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012494:Sampling Studies; D014505:Urban Population
D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide