title: Living near main streets and respiratory symptoms in adults: the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung Diseases in Adults.
abstract: The Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA), conducted in 1991 (SAPALDIA 1) in eight areas among 9,651 randomly selected adults aged 18-60 years, reported associations among the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, nitrogen dioxide, and particles with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 microg/m3. Later, 8,047 subjects reenrolled in 2002 (SAPALDIA 2). The effects of individually assigned traffic exposures on reported respiratory symptoms were estimated, while controlling for socioeconomic and exposure- and health-related factors. The risk of attacks of breathlessness increased for all subjects by 13% (95% confidence interval: 3, 24) per 500-m increment in the length of main street segments within 200 m of the home and decreased in never smokers by 12% (95% confidence interval: 0, 22) per 100-m increment in distance from home to a main street. Living within 20 m of a main street increased the risks of regular phlegm by 15% (95% confidence interval: 0, 31) and wheezing with breathing problems by 34% (95% confidence interval: 0, 79) in never smokers. In 2002, the effects related to road distance were different from those in 1991, which could be due to changes in the traffic pollution mixture. These findings among a general population provide strong confirmation that living near busy streets leads to adverse respiratory health effects.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, and Hôpital Intercantonal de la Broye, Payerne, Switzerland. lucy.oglesby@unibas.ch
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bayer-Oglesby
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: Marianne E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hazenkamp-von Arx
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braun-Fahrländer
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keidel
authors.forename: Regula
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rapp
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Künzli
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Braendli
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burdet
authors.forename: L-J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Sally Liu
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leuenberger
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ackermann-Liebrich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D001335:Vehicle Emissions