Gender differences and effect of air pollution on asthma in children with and without allergic predisposition: Northeast Chinese children health study
Journal
PLoS ONE
Journal Volume
6
Journal Issue
7
Date Issued
2011
Author(s)
Dong, Guang-Hui
Chen, Tao
Liu, Miao-Miao
Wang, Da
Ma, Ya-Nan
Ren, Wan-Hui
Lee, Yungling Leo
Zhao, Ya-Dong
He, Qin-Cheng
Thorne, Claire
Abstract
Background: Males and females exhibit different health responses to air pollution, but little is known about how exposure to air pollution affects juvenile respiratory health after analysis stratified by allergic predisposition. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between air pollutants and asthmatic symptoms in Chinese children selected from multiple sites in a heavily industrialized province of China, and investigate whether allergic predisposition modifies this relationship. Methodology/Principal Findings: 30139 Chinese children aged 3-to-12 years were selected from 25 districts of seven cities in northeast China in 2009. Information on respiratory health was obtained using a standard questionnaire from the American Thoracic Society. Routine air-pollution monitoring data was used for particles with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM 10), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), nitrogen dioxides (NO 2), ozone (O 3) and carbon monoxide (CO). A two-stage regression approach was applied in data analyses. The effect estimates were presented as odds ratios (ORs) per interquartile changes for PM 10, SO 2, NO 2, O 3, and CO. The results showed that children with allergic predisposition were more susceptible to air pollutants than children without allergic predisposition. Amongst children without an allergic predisposition, air pollution effects on asthma were stronger in males compared to females; Current asthma prevalence was related to PM 10 (ORs = 1.36 per 31 μg/m 3; 95% CI, 1.08-1.72), SO 2 (ORs = 1.38 per 21 μg/m 3; 95%CI, 1.12-1.69) only among males. However, among children with allergic predisposition, more positively associations between air pollutants and respiratory symptoms and diseases were detected in females; An increased prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was significantly associated with SO 2 (ORs = 1.48 per 21 μg/m 3; 95%CI, 1.21-1.80), NO 2 (ORs = 1.26 per 10 μg/m 3; 95%CI, 1.01-1.56), and current asthma with O 3 (ORs = 1.55 per 23 μg/m 3; 95%CI, 1.18-2.04) only among females. Conclusion/Significance: Ambient air pollutions were more evident in males without an allergic predisposition and more associations were detected in females with allergic predisposition. © 2011 Dong et al.
Other Subjects
carbon monoxide; nitrogen dioxide; ozone; sulfur dioxide; air analysis; air monitoring; air pollutant; air pollution; ambient air; article; asthma; child; Chinese; controlled study; disease association; disease predisposition; female; health survey; high risk population; human; industrialization; major clinical study; male; particle size; particulate matter; preschool child; prevalence; respiratory tract allergy; school child; sex difference; symptom; adolescent; air pollutant; air pollution; asthma; China; confidence interval; health survey; risk; sexual development; statistics; Adolescent; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Asthma; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Confidence Intervals; Disease Susceptibility; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Odds Ratio; Sex Characteristics
Type
journal article