title: Prenatal exposure to outdoor air pollution and child behavioral problems at school age in Japan.
abstract: Recent studies suggest positive associations between prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution and neurodevelopment of children, but evidence on the adverse effects of exposure to air pollution on child neurobehavioral development remains limited. We thus examined associations between prenatal exposure to outdoor air pollution and child behavioral problems at school age, using data from a nationwide population-based longitudinal survey in Japan, where participants were recruited in 2001 and are continuously followed.
  
  
  
  Suspended particulate matter (SPM), nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide concentrations during the 9months before birth were obtained at municipality level and assigned to those participants born in the corresponding municipality. We analyzed data from singleton births with linked pollution data available (e.g., n=33,911 for SPM). We used responses to survey questions about behavioral problems at age 8years. We conducted multilevel logistic regression analysis, adjusting for individual and municipality-level variables.
  
  
  
  Air pollution exposure during gestation was positively associated with risk for behavioral problems related to attention and delinquent or aggressive behavior. In the fully adjusted models, odds ratios following a one-interquartile-range increase in SPM were 1.06 (95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.11) for interrupting others, 1.09 (1.03, 1.15) for failure to pay attention when crossing a street, 1.06 (1.01, 1.11) for lying, and 1.07 (1.02, 1.13) for causing public disturbance.
  
  
  
  Prenatal exposure to outdoor air pollution was associated with behavioral problems related to attention and delinquent or aggressive behavior at age 8years in a nationally representative sample in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan. Electronic address: yorichan@md.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yorifuji
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Midory Higa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Kansai University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kado
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Fukuyama City University, Fukuyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanada
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Doi
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000066553:Problem Behavior; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide
keywords: Air pollution; Behavior; Epidemiology; Nitrogen dioxide; Particulate matter; Sulfur dioxide