Early postnatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution and asthma in adolescents: vulnerability factors in the PARIS birth cohort

Antoine Citerne; Célina Roda; Malika Viola; Fanny Rancière; Isabelle Momas

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.111473

Early postnatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution and asthma in adolescents: vulnerability factors in the PARIS birth cohort

Environ Res. 2021 Oct:201:111473. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111473. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Authors

Antoine Citerne¹, Célina Roda², Malika Viola¹, Fanny Rancière³, Isabelle Momas⁴

Affiliations

¹ Health Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Team, CRESS, Université de Paris, Inserm, INRAE, Paris, France.
² Health Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Team, CRESS, Université de Paris, Inserm, INRAE, Paris, France; Université de Paris, Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Paris, France.
³ Health Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Team, CRESS, Université de Paris, Inserm, INRAE, Paris, France; Université de Paris, Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Paris, France. Electronic address: fanny.ranciere@u-paris.fr.
⁴ Health Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) Team, CRESS, Université de Paris, Inserm, INRAE, Paris, France; Université de Paris, Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Paris, France; Cellule Cohorte, Direction de l'Action Sociale de l'Enfance et de la Santé, Mairie de Paris, Paris, France.

PMID: 34116015
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111473

Abstract

Background: Associations between early traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure and respiratory and allergic morbidity in adolescents are inconsistent. However, sub-groups might be more vulnerable to the health effects of this exposure.

Objectives: We investigated associations between early exposure to TRAP and respiratory and allergic morbidity at age 13 years in the PARIS birth cohort, and potential modifying effects of sex, parental allergy, stressful family event and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI).

Methods: This study deals with data from 732 children of the PARIS birth cohort followed up using repeated questionnaires until 13 years of age. Prenatal TRAP exposure was assessed by measuring daily concentrations of nitrogen dioxide at the nearest station to mother's home. Early postnatal TRAP exposure was calculated for each child during the first year of life by a nitrogen oxides (NO_x) air dispersion model taking into account both residence and daycare. Associations between TRAP exposures and asthma, rhinitis and related symptoms were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounding factors. Effect modification was explored by testing multiplicative interactions.

Results: An increase in interquartile range (17.0 μg/m³) of early postnatal NO_x exposure was positively related to current asthma (adjusted odds ratio aOR = 1.21; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.02, 1.43), severe wheeze (aOR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.47) and persistent asthma at 13 years old (aOR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.55) and tended to be associated with asthma ever. Parental history of allergy, asthma, early stressful family event and LRTI modified these associations with TRAP exposure. No relationship with rhinitis was found. Prenatal TRAP exposure did not show any association with respiratory and allergic morbidity.

Discussion: This study is one of the first to show several modifiers of the association between early postnatal TRAP exposure and asthma at adolescence. Not all adolescents seem equally affected by early postnatal TRAP exposure: those presenting parental history of allergy, especially asthma, those with early stressful family event or LRTI appear to be more vulnerable.

Keywords: Adolescent; Asthma; Cohort; Rhinitis; Traffic-related air pollution.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollutants* / toxicity
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
Air Pollution* / analysis
Asthma* / chemically induced
Asthma* / epidemiology
Child
Environmental Exposure / adverse effects
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Humans
Traffic-Related Pollution* / adverse effects

Substances

Air Pollutants