title: Acute respiratory health effects of air pollution on children with asthma in US inner cities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with asthma in inner-city communities may be particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of air pollution because of their airways disease and exposure to relatively high levels of motor vehicle emissions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between fluctuations in outdoor air pollution and asthma morbidity among inner-city children with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 861 children with persistent asthma in 7 US urban communities who performed 2-week periods of twice-daily pulmonary function testing every 6 months for 2 years. Asthma symptom data were collected every 2 months. Daily pollution measurements were obtained from the Aerometric Information Retrieval System. The relationship of lung function and symptoms to fluctuations in pollutant concentrations was examined by using mixed models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost all pollutant concentrations measured were below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. In single-pollutant models, higher 5-day average concentrations of NO2, sulfur dioxide, and particles smaller than 2.5 microm were associated with significantly lower pulmonary function. Higher pollutant levels were independently associated with reduced lung function in a 3-pollutant model. Higher concentrations of NO2 and particles smaller than 2.5 microm were associated with asthma-related missed school days, and higher NO2 concentrations were associated with asthma symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among inner-city children with asthma, short-term increases in air pollutant concentrations below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards were associated with adverse respiratory health effects. The associations with NO2 suggest that motor vehicle emissions may be causing excess morbidity in this population.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. goconnor@bu.edu
authors.forename: George T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neas
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vaughn
authors.forename: Meyer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kattan
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Ellen F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Crain
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gruchalla
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stout
authors.forename: G Kenneth
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Morton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lippmann
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D014481:United States; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide