Asthma and school commuting time.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined associations of asthma with school commuting time.


METHODS
Time on likely school commute route was used as a proxy for on-road air pollution exposure among 4741 elementary school children at enrollment into the Children's Health Study. Lifetime asthma and severe wheeze (including multiple attacks, nocturnal, or with shortness of breath) were reported by parents.


RESULTS
In asthmatic children, severe wheeze was associated with commuting time (odds ratio, 1.54 across the 9-minute 5% to 95% exposure distribution; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 2.36). The association was stronger in analysis restricted to asthmatic children with commuting times 5 minutes or longer (odds ratio, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 3.77). No significant associations were observed with asthma prevalence.


CONCLUSIONS
Among asthmatics, severe wheeze was associated with relatively short school commuting times. Further investigation of effects of on-road pollutant exposure is warranted.
McConnell
Rob
R
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. rmcconne@usc.edu
Liu
Feifei
F
Wu
Jun
J
Lurmann
Fred
F
Peters
John
J
Berhane
Kiros
K
D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
D001335:Vehicle Emissions