Individual and joint effects of prenatal green spaces, PM2.5 and PM1 exposure on BMI Z-score of children aged two years: A birth cohort study

Shuang Zhou; Yuming Guo; Zheng Bao; Lizi Lin; Hui Liu; Gongbo Chen; Qin Li; Heling Bao; Yuelong Ji; Shusheng Luo; Zheng Liu; Hui Wang; Na Han; Hai-Jun Wang

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112548

Individual and joint effects of prenatal green spaces, PM_2.5 and PM₁ exposure on BMI Z-score of children aged two years: A birth cohort study

Environ Res. 2022 Apr 1:205:112548. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112548. Epub 2021 Dec 15.

Authors

Shuang Zhou¹, Yuming Guo², Zheng Bao³, Lizi Lin⁴, Hui Liu⁵, Gongbo Chen⁶, Qin Li⁷, Heling Bao¹, Yuelong Ji¹, Shusheng Luo¹, Zheng Liu¹, Hui Wang¹, Na Han³, Hai-Jun Wang⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Beijing, China.
² Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Tongzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Beijing, 101101, China.
⁴ Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Beijing, China; Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
⁵ Medical Informatics Center, Peking University, Beijing, China.
⁶ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
⁷ Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Beijing, China; Reproductive Medical Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
⁸ Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Beijing, China. Electronic address: whjun@pku.edu.cn.

PMID: 34919955
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112548

Abstract

Background: Few studies examined the association of prenatal exposure to green spaces with children's body mass index (BMI) Z-score, and no study evaluated the joint effect of prenatal green spaces and PM_2.5 or PM₁ exposure on children's BMI Z-score. We aimed to assess the individual and joint effects of prenatal green spaces, PM_2.5, and PM₁ exposure on BMI Z-score of children aged two years.

Methods: The study was based on a birth cohort in Beijing, China, in which 13,253 mothers (LMP from 2014 to 2017) and their children were included. We estimated prenatal green spaces exposure by calculating average normalized diﬀerence vegetation index with 500 m buﬀers (NDVI-500), prenatal PM_2.5 and PM₁ exposure based on maternal residential addresses. Weight and height of children were measured at 2 years old. We calculated children's BMI Z-score based on the WHO Standards. Generalized linear regression was used to examine the individual and joint effects of prenatal NDVI-500, PM_2.5 and PM₁ exposure on children's BMI Z-score.

Results: A 0.1 increase in prenatal NDVI-500 exposure, a 10 μg/m³ decrease in PM_2.5, a 10 μg/m³ decrease in PM₁ were associated with 0.185 [95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.155, 0.216], 0.034 (95%CI: 0.015, 0.052) and 0.041 (95%CI: 0.020, 0.061) increase of children's BMI Z-score, respectively. Compared with those exposed to low-level NDVI-500 (not greater than median) and high-level PM_2.5 (greater than median), the BMI Z-score was higher in children whose mother exposed to high-level of NDVI-500 and low-level PM_2.5 [β:0.172 (95%CI: 0.131, 0.214), P_interaction = 0.003]. Compared with those exposed to low-level NDVI-500 and high-level PM₁, the BMI Z-score was higher in children whose mother exposed to high-level of NDVI-500 and low-level PM₁ [β:0.169 (95%CI: 0.127, 0.210), P_interaction<0.001]. In the trimester-specific analysis, NDVI-500 and PM exposure during the second trimester have a consistent individual effect, together with a joint effect, on child growth.

Conclusion: The study suggested the beneficial effect of prenatal exposure to green spaces on child growth and its interaction with PM_2.5 and PM₁, especially in the second trimester. The findings call for developing public health policy to improve green infrastructure and control PM_2.5 and PM₁ concentrations, in order to promote child growth.

Keywords: Children; Green spaces; Growth; PM(1); PM(2.5); Prenatal exposure.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollutants* / toxicity
Birth Cohort
Body Mass Index
Child
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Parks, Recreational*
Particulate Matter / analysis
Particulate Matter / toxicity
Pregnancy

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter