title: PM10, and children's respiratory symptoms and lung function in the PATY study.
abstract: Studies of the impact of long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution on the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung function in children have yielded mixed results, partly related to differences in study design, exposure assessment, confounder selection and data analysis. We assembled respiratory health and exposure data for >45,000 children from comparable cross-sectional studies in 12 countries. 11 respiratory symptoms were selected, for which comparable questions were asked. Spirometry was performed in about half of the children. Exposure to air pollution was mainly characterised by annual average concentrations of particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm (PM(10)) measured at fixed sites within the study areas. Positive associations were found between the average PM(10) concentration and the prevalence of phlegm (OR per 10 μg · m(-3) 1.15, 95% CI 1.02-1.30), hay fever (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.99-1.46), bronchitis (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.98-1.19), morning cough (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02-1.29) and nocturnal cough (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.98-1.29). There were no associations with diagnosed asthma or asthma symptoms. PM(10) was not associated with lung function across all studies combined. Our study adds to the evidence that long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution, characterised by the concentration of PM(10), is associated with increased respiratory symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, University of Utrecht, PO Box 80178, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands. g.hoek@uu.nl
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoek
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pattenden
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willers
authors.forename: Temenuga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Antova
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fabianova
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braun-Fahrländer
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forastiere
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gehring
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luttmann-Gibson
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grize
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Houthuijs
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Katsnelson
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kosheleva
authors.forename: Hanns
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moshammer
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neuberger
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Privalova
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudnai
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Speizer
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Slachtova
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomaskova
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zlotkowska
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D003371:Cough / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D013183:Sputum
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012906:Smoke