title: Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites and attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, and special education in U.S. children aged 6 to 15.
abstract: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) adversely affects child neurodevelopment, but little is known about the relationship between PAHs and clinically significant developmental disorders. We examined the relationship between childhood measures of PAH exposure and prevalence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability (LD), and special education (SE) in a nationally representative sample of 1,257 U.S. children 6-15 years of age. Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2004. PAH exposure was measured by urinary metabolite concentrations. Outcomes were defined by parental report of (1) ever doctor-diagnosed ADHD, (2) ever doctor- or school representative-identified LD, and (3) receipt of SE or early intervention services. Multivariate logistic regression accounting for survey sampling was used to determine the associations between PAH metabolites and ADHD, LD, and SE. Children exposed to higher levels of fluorine metabolites had a 2-fold increased odds (95% C.I. 1.1, 3.8) of SE, and this association was more apparent in males (OR 2.3; 95% C.I. 1.2, 4.1) than in females (OR 1.8; 95% C.I. 0.6, 5.4). No other consistent pattern of developmental disorders was associated with urinary PAH metabolites. However, concurrent exposure to PAH fluorine metabolites may increase use of special education services among U.S. children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Zaynah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Ananya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Julie B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Herbstman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA ; Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, 1 Church Street, 6th floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Adrienne S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ettinger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004519:Education, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000652:urine*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons