We conducted a systematic and comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature wit... more We conducted a systematic and comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature with respect to hearing loss among musicians, exposure to noise, determinants of noise exposure, and methods for controlling those exposures. Details of the literature search are given in an appendix. A one-page summary of this review is available at http://www.cher.ubc.ca/PDFs/reviews/noiseandhearingloss.pdf We found that both classical and rock musicians are at increased risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and an associated disease, tinnitus, as a result of their exposure to music. Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
Part of the Border Air Quality Study is the linking of a birth cohort, consisting of all children... more Part of the Border Air Quality Study is the linking of a birth cohort, consisting of all children born in the Georgia Air Basin of British Columbia during 1999-2002, with residential air pollution exposure histories beginning at conception. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of air pollution on various health outcomes (adverse birth outcomes, bronchiolitis, otitis media, bronchitis, and asthma) during prenatal and early childhood development. The birth cohort has been linked to the BC Perinatal Database Registry. This report describes a chart abstraction study, conducted at BC Women and Children’s Hospital, to determine the consistency of key information on maternal risk factor data and to asses the reliability of data coding from patient hospital charts and prenatal care into the perinatal database. BC Women and Children's Hospital was selected for the chart review because it has the largest number of births in the province (approximately 7,000/year). Environment...
This literature review was undertaken to review the status of research on available treatments fo... more This literature review was undertaken to review the status of research on available treatments for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) on behalf of Safety & Health in Arts Production and Entertainment (SHAPE). This review focuses on the studies that have exhibited a positive effect on NIHL in humans and that have been published since 1985 (see Appendix 1 for literature search strategies). Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
This literature review was commissioned to provide FARSHA and its clients an up to date overview ... more This literature review was commissioned to provide FARSHA and its clients an up to date overview of the current knowledge regarding the risks of noise exposure to those working on farms, and methods of controlling exposure to reduce that risk. We conducted a systematic and comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature with respect to hearing loss among farmers and their exposure to noise, and the determinants of noise exposure, and methods for controlling those exposures on farms. Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
This report provides a technical background to the concept of active noise control, discusses its... more This report provides a technical background to the concept of active noise control, discusses its use in the entertainment industry and provides guidance on how to select the appropriate device. Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
Otitis media is the main reason young children receive antibiotics and is the leading reason for ... more Otitis media is the main reason young children receive antibiotics and is the leading reason for physician visits. To characterize the incidence, recurrence and risk factors for otitis media in a population-based birth cohort. All children born in southwestern British Columbia during 1999 to 2000 were followed until the age of three years. Otitis media was defined using The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision coding of physician visits, and linked with antibiotic prescription data. Information on sex, birth weight, gestational age, Aboriginal status, maternal age, older siblings, maternal smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding initiation, neighbourhood income, female education and rural residence were obtained from vital statistics, birth hospitalizations, perinatal registry and census data. Complete risk factor information was available for 50,474 children (86% of all births). Nearly one-half of the children (48.6%) had one or more physician visits for otitis ...
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2014
Evidence for a role of long-term particulate matter exposure on acute respiratory infections is g... more Evidence for a role of long-term particulate matter exposure on acute respiratory infections is growing. However, which components of particulate matter may be causative remains largely unknown. We assessed associations between eight particulate matter elements and early-life pneumonia in seven birth cohort studies (N total=15,980): BAMSE (Sweden), GASPII (Italy), GINIplus and LISAplus (Germany), INMA (Spain), MAAS (United Kingdom) and PIAMA (The Netherlands). Annual average exposure to copper, iron, potassium, nickel, sulfur, silicon, vanadium and zinc, each respectively derived from particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM10) and 2.5 μm (PM2.5), were estimated using standardized land use regression models and assigned to birth addresses. Cohort-specific associations between these exposures and parental reports of physician-diagnosed pneumonia between birth and two years were assessed using logistic regression models adjusted for host and environmental covariates and total PM10 or PM2.5 mass. Combined estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. There was substantial within and between-cohort variability in element concentrations. In the adjusted meta-analysis, pneumonia was weakly associated with zinc derived from PM10 (OR: 1.47 (95% CI: 0.99, 2.18) per 20 ng/m(3) increase). No other associations with the other elements were consistently observed. The independent effect of particulate matter mass remained after adjustment for element concentrations. In conclusion, associations between particulate matter mass exposure and pneumonia were not explained by the elements we investigated. Zinc from PM10 was the only element which appeared independently associated with a higher risk of early-life pneumonia. As zinc is primarily attributable to non-tailpipe traffic emissions, these results may suggest a potential adverse effect of non-tailpipe emissions on health.
Otitis media is a common and costly disease that peaks in early childhood. Recent reviews conclud... more Otitis media is a common and costly disease that peaks in early childhood. Recent reviews concluded that the relationship between otitis media and atopy is not well understood, and that further research is warranted. Logistic regression was used to analyze data from a German Birth Cohort (n = 1690; born 1997–1999). Parental questionnaires were used to assess children for physician-diagnosed otitis media throughout the first 2 years of life and for incident atopic disease (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema) during the sixth year of life. Odds ratios were adjusted for gender, older siblings, city, parental education, breast-feeding, and daycare. Parallel analyses were completed for the full birth cohort and for a population subset with atopic mothers. The adjusted odds of asthma were elevated for children with early-life otitis media, but were statistically significant only for those children with at least 3 episodes (adjusted odds ratio: 4.26 [95% confidence interval: 1.34–13.6]). Associations between early-life otitis media and allergic rhinitis were largely inconsistent. There was a positive association between early-life otitis media and late-onset allergic eczema (≥2 episodes: 2.68 [1.35–5.33], ≥3 episodes: 3.84 [1.80–8.18]). Similar results were found for the maternal atopy subgroup but with greater effect estimates. Children diagnosed with otitis media during infancy were at greater risk for developing late-onset allergic eczema and asthma during school age, and associations were stronger for frequent otitis. These results indicate that frequent otitis media during infancy may predispose children to atopic disease in later life.
Associations between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and allergic rhinitis remain inconsiste... more Associations between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and allergic rhinitis remain inconsistent, possibly because of unexplored gene-environment interactions. In a pooled analysis of 6 birth cohorts (Ntotal = 15,299), we examined whether TRAP and genetic polymorphisms related to inflammation and oxidative stress predict allergic rhinitis and sensitization. Allergic rhinitis was defined with a doctor diagnosis or reported symptoms at age 7 or 8 years. Associations between nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) mass, PM2.5 absorbance, and ozone, estimated for each child at the year of birth, and single nucleotide polymorphisms within the GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, or TLR4 genes with allergic rhinitis and aeroallergen sensitization were examined with logistic regression. Models were stratified by genotype and interaction terms tested for gene-environment associations. Point estimates for associations between nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5 mass, and PM2.5 absorbance with allergic rhinitis were elevated, but only that for PM2.5 mass was statistically significant (1.37 [1.01, 1.86] per 5 μg/m(3)). This result was not robust to single-cohort exclusions. Carriers of at least 1 minor rs1800629 (TNF) or rs1927911 (TLR4) allele were consistently at an increased risk of developing allergic rhinitis (1.19 [1.00, 1.41] and 1.24 [1.01, 1.53], respectively), regardless of TRAP exposure. No evidence of gene-environment interactions was observed. The generally null effect of TRAP on allergic rhinitis and aeroallergen sensitization was not modified by the studied variants in the GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, or TLR4 genes. Children carrying a minor rs1800629 (TNF) or rs1927911 (TLR4) allele may be at a higher risk of allergic rhinitis.
Associations between traffic-related air pollution and incident childhood asthma can be strengthe... more Associations between traffic-related air pollution and incident childhood asthma can be strengthened by analysis of gene-environment interactions, but studies have typically been limited by lack of study power. We combined data from six birth cohorts on: asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis to 7/8 years, and candidate genes. Individual-level assessment of traffic-related air pollution exposure was estimated using land use regression or dispersion modeling. A total of 11,760 children were included in the Traffic, Asthma and Genetics (TAG) Study; 6.3 % reported physician-diagnosed asthma at school-age, 16.0 % had asthma at anytime during childhood, 14.1 % had allergic rhinitis at school-age, 10.0 % had eczema at school-age and 33.1 % were sensitized to any allergen. For GSTP1 rs1138272, the prevalence of heterozygosity was 16 % (range amongst individual cohorts, 11-17 %) and homozygosity for the minor allele was 1 % (0-2 %). For GSTP1 rs1695, the prevalence of heterozygosity was 45 % (40-48 %) and homozygosity for the minor allele, 12 % (10-12 %). For TNF rs1800629, the prevalence of heterozygosity was 29 % (25-32 %) and homozygosity for the minor allele, 3 % (1-3 %). TAG comprises a rich database, the largest of its kind, for investigating the effect of genotype on the association between air pollution and childhood allergic disease.
About BAQS The Border Air Quality Study (BAQS) is a series of linked research projects to evalu... more About BAQS The Border Air Quality Study (BAQS) is a series of linked research projects to evaluate the health impacts of air pollution in the Georgia Basin-Puget Sound International Airshed (Fig 1). ... Introduction Otitis media (middle ear infection) is the primary reason Canadian ...
: Otitis media is the leading reason young children receive antibiotics or visit a physician. We ... more : Otitis media is the leading reason young children receive antibiotics or visit a physician. We evaluated the impact of ambient air pollution on outpatient physician visits for otitis media in a population-based birth cohort. : All children born in southwestern British Columbia during 1999-2000 were followed until the age of 2 years. Residential air pollution exposures were estimated for the first 24 months of life by inverse-distance weighting of monitor data (CO, NO, NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10, SO2), temporally adjusted land-use regression models (NO, NO2, PM2.5, black carbon, woodsmoke), and proximity to roads and point sources. We used generalized estimating equations to longitudinally assess the relationship between physician visits for otitis media (ICD-9) and average pollutant exposure in the 2 months prior to the visit, after adjustment for covariates. : Complete exposure and risk-factor data were available for 45,513 children (76% of all births). A total of 42% of subjects had 1 or more physician visits for otitis media during follow-up. Adjusted estimates for NO, PM2.5, and woodsmoke were consistently elevated (eg, relative risk of 1.10 [95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.12] per interquartile range [IQR] increase in NO; 1.32 [1.27-1.36] per IQR increase in days of woodsmoke exposure). No increased risks were observed for the remaining pollutants (eg, 1.00 [0.98-1.03] per IQR increase in PM10; 0.99 [0.97-1.01] per IQR increase in black carbon). : Modest but consistent associations were found between some measures of air pollution and otitis media in a large birth cohort exposed to relatively low levels of ambient air pollution.
Methods: Middle ear infection was identified during the first two years of life using ICD9 coding... more Methods: Middle ear infection was identified during the first two years of life using ICD9 coding of outpatient physician visits linked with antibiotic prescription data for all children born in southwestern British Columbia during 1999-2000. Exposure to traffic-related air ...
Few studies have investigated traffic-related air pollution as a risk factor for respiratory infe... more Few studies have investigated traffic-related air pollution as a risk factor for respiratory infections during early childhood. We aimed to investigate the association between air pollution and pneumonia, croup, and otitis media in 10 European birth cohorts--BAMSE (Sweden), GASPII (Italy), GINIplus and LISAplus (Germany), MAAS (United Kingdom), PIAMA (the Netherlands), and four INMA cohorts (Spain)--and to derive combined effect estimates using meta-analysis. Parent report of physician-diagnosed pneumonia, otitis media, and croup during early childhood were assessed in relation to annual average pollutant levels [nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, PM2.5-10 (coarse PM)], which were estimated using land use regression models and assigned to children based on their residential address at birth. Identical protocols were used to develop regression models for each study area as part of the ESCAPE project. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted effect estimates for each study, and random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate combined estimates. For pneumonia, combined adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were elevated and statistically significant for all pollutants except PM2.5 (e.g., OR=1.30; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.65 per 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 and OR=1.76; 95% CI: 1.00, 3.09 per 10-μg/m3 PM10). For otitis media and croup, results were generally null across all analyses except for NO2 and otitis media (OR=1.09; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.16 per 10-μg/m3). Our meta-analysis of 10 European birth cohorts within the ESCAPE project found consistent evidence for an association between air pollution and pneumonia in early childhood, and some evidence for an association with otitis media.
We conducted a systematic and comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature wit... more We conducted a systematic and comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature with respect to hearing loss among musicians, exposure to noise, determinants of noise exposure, and methods for controlling those exposures. Details of the literature search are given in an appendix. A one-page summary of this review is available at http://www.cher.ubc.ca/PDFs/reviews/noiseandhearingloss.pdf We found that both classical and rock musicians are at increased risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss and an associated disease, tinnitus, as a result of their exposure to music. Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
Part of the Border Air Quality Study is the linking of a birth cohort, consisting of all children... more Part of the Border Air Quality Study is the linking of a birth cohort, consisting of all children born in the Georgia Air Basin of British Columbia during 1999-2002, with residential air pollution exposure histories beginning at conception. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of air pollution on various health outcomes (adverse birth outcomes, bronchiolitis, otitis media, bronchitis, and asthma) during prenatal and early childhood development. The birth cohort has been linked to the BC Perinatal Database Registry. This report describes a chart abstraction study, conducted at BC Women and Children’s Hospital, to determine the consistency of key information on maternal risk factor data and to asses the reliability of data coding from patient hospital charts and prenatal care into the perinatal database. BC Women and Children's Hospital was selected for the chart review because it has the largest number of births in the province (approximately 7,000/year). Environment...
This literature review was undertaken to review the status of research on available treatments fo... more This literature review was undertaken to review the status of research on available treatments for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) on behalf of Safety & Health in Arts Production and Entertainment (SHAPE). This review focuses on the studies that have exhibited a positive effect on NIHL in humans and that have been published since 1985 (see Appendix 1 for literature search strategies). Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
This literature review was commissioned to provide FARSHA and its clients an up to date overview ... more This literature review was commissioned to provide FARSHA and its clients an up to date overview of the current knowledge regarding the risks of noise exposure to those working on farms, and methods of controlling exposure to reduce that risk. We conducted a systematic and comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature with respect to hearing loss among farmers and their exposure to noise, and the determinants of noise exposure, and methods for controlling those exposures on farms. Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
This report provides a technical background to the concept of active noise control, discusses its... more This report provides a technical background to the concept of active noise control, discusses its use in the entertainment industry and provides guidance on how to select the appropriate device. Environmental Health (SOEH), School of Health and Environment Research (CHER), Centre for Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, School of
Otitis media is the main reason young children receive antibiotics and is the leading reason for ... more Otitis media is the main reason young children receive antibiotics and is the leading reason for physician visits. To characterize the incidence, recurrence and risk factors for otitis media in a population-based birth cohort. All children born in southwestern British Columbia during 1999 to 2000 were followed until the age of three years. Otitis media was defined using The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision coding of physician visits, and linked with antibiotic prescription data. Information on sex, birth weight, gestational age, Aboriginal status, maternal age, older siblings, maternal smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding initiation, neighbourhood income, female education and rural residence were obtained from vital statistics, birth hospitalizations, perinatal registry and census data. Complete risk factor information was available for 50,474 children (86% of all births). Nearly one-half of the children (48.6%) had one or more physician visits for otitis ...
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2014
Evidence for a role of long-term particulate matter exposure on acute respiratory infections is g... more Evidence for a role of long-term particulate matter exposure on acute respiratory infections is growing. However, which components of particulate matter may be causative remains largely unknown. We assessed associations between eight particulate matter elements and early-life pneumonia in seven birth cohort studies (N total=15,980): BAMSE (Sweden), GASPII (Italy), GINIplus and LISAplus (Germany), INMA (Spain), MAAS (United Kingdom) and PIAMA (The Netherlands). Annual average exposure to copper, iron, potassium, nickel, sulfur, silicon, vanadium and zinc, each respectively derived from particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM10) and 2.5 μm (PM2.5), were estimated using standardized land use regression models and assigned to birth addresses. Cohort-specific associations between these exposures and parental reports of physician-diagnosed pneumonia between birth and two years were assessed using logistic regression models adjusted for host and environmental covariates and total PM10 or PM2.5 mass. Combined estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. There was substantial within and between-cohort variability in element concentrations. In the adjusted meta-analysis, pneumonia was weakly associated with zinc derived from PM10 (OR: 1.47 (95% CI: 0.99, 2.18) per 20 ng/m(3) increase). No other associations with the other elements were consistently observed. The independent effect of particulate matter mass remained after adjustment for element concentrations. In conclusion, associations between particulate matter mass exposure and pneumonia were not explained by the elements we investigated. Zinc from PM10 was the only element which appeared independently associated with a higher risk of early-life pneumonia. As zinc is primarily attributable to non-tailpipe traffic emissions, these results may suggest a potential adverse effect of non-tailpipe emissions on health.
Otitis media is a common and costly disease that peaks in early childhood. Recent reviews conclud... more Otitis media is a common and costly disease that peaks in early childhood. Recent reviews concluded that the relationship between otitis media and atopy is not well understood, and that further research is warranted. Logistic regression was used to analyze data from a German Birth Cohort (n = 1690; born 1997–1999). Parental questionnaires were used to assess children for physician-diagnosed otitis media throughout the first 2 years of life and for incident atopic disease (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema) during the sixth year of life. Odds ratios were adjusted for gender, older siblings, city, parental education, breast-feeding, and daycare. Parallel analyses were completed for the full birth cohort and for a population subset with atopic mothers. The adjusted odds of asthma were elevated for children with early-life otitis media, but were statistically significant only for those children with at least 3 episodes (adjusted odds ratio: 4.26 [95% confidence interval: 1.34–13.6]). Associations between early-life otitis media and allergic rhinitis were largely inconsistent. There was a positive association between early-life otitis media and late-onset allergic eczema (≥2 episodes: 2.68 [1.35–5.33], ≥3 episodes: 3.84 [1.80–8.18]). Similar results were found for the maternal atopy subgroup but with greater effect estimates. Children diagnosed with otitis media during infancy were at greater risk for developing late-onset allergic eczema and asthma during school age, and associations were stronger for frequent otitis. These results indicate that frequent otitis media during infancy may predispose children to atopic disease in later life.
Associations between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and allergic rhinitis remain inconsiste... more Associations between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and allergic rhinitis remain inconsistent, possibly because of unexplored gene-environment interactions. In a pooled analysis of 6 birth cohorts (Ntotal = 15,299), we examined whether TRAP and genetic polymorphisms related to inflammation and oxidative stress predict allergic rhinitis and sensitization. Allergic rhinitis was defined with a doctor diagnosis or reported symptoms at age 7 or 8 years. Associations between nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) mass, PM2.5 absorbance, and ozone, estimated for each child at the year of birth, and single nucleotide polymorphisms within the GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, or TLR4 genes with allergic rhinitis and aeroallergen sensitization were examined with logistic regression. Models were stratified by genotype and interaction terms tested for gene-environment associations. Point estimates for associations between nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5 mass, and PM2.5 absorbance with allergic rhinitis were elevated, but only that for PM2.5 mass was statistically significant (1.37 [1.01, 1.86] per 5 μg/m(3)). This result was not robust to single-cohort exclusions. Carriers of at least 1 minor rs1800629 (TNF) or rs1927911 (TLR4) allele were consistently at an increased risk of developing allergic rhinitis (1.19 [1.00, 1.41] and 1.24 [1.01, 1.53], respectively), regardless of TRAP exposure. No evidence of gene-environment interactions was observed. The generally null effect of TRAP on allergic rhinitis and aeroallergen sensitization was not modified by the studied variants in the GSTP1, TNF, TLR2, or TLR4 genes. Children carrying a minor rs1800629 (TNF) or rs1927911 (TLR4) allele may be at a higher risk of allergic rhinitis.
Associations between traffic-related air pollution and incident childhood asthma can be strengthe... more Associations between traffic-related air pollution and incident childhood asthma can be strengthened by analysis of gene-environment interactions, but studies have typically been limited by lack of study power. We combined data from six birth cohorts on: asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis to 7/8 years, and candidate genes. Individual-level assessment of traffic-related air pollution exposure was estimated using land use regression or dispersion modeling. A total of 11,760 children were included in the Traffic, Asthma and Genetics (TAG) Study; 6.3 % reported physician-diagnosed asthma at school-age, 16.0 % had asthma at anytime during childhood, 14.1 % had allergic rhinitis at school-age, 10.0 % had eczema at school-age and 33.1 % were sensitized to any allergen. For GSTP1 rs1138272, the prevalence of heterozygosity was 16 % (range amongst individual cohorts, 11-17 %) and homozygosity for the minor allele was 1 % (0-2 %). For GSTP1 rs1695, the prevalence of heterozygosity was 45 % (40-48 %) and homozygosity for the minor allele, 12 % (10-12 %). For TNF rs1800629, the prevalence of heterozygosity was 29 % (25-32 %) and homozygosity for the minor allele, 3 % (1-3 %). TAG comprises a rich database, the largest of its kind, for investigating the effect of genotype on the association between air pollution and childhood allergic disease.
About BAQS The Border Air Quality Study (BAQS) is a series of linked research projects to evalu... more About BAQS The Border Air Quality Study (BAQS) is a series of linked research projects to evaluate the health impacts of air pollution in the Georgia Basin-Puget Sound International Airshed (Fig 1). ... Introduction Otitis media (middle ear infection) is the primary reason Canadian ...
: Otitis media is the leading reason young children receive antibiotics or visit a physician. We ... more : Otitis media is the leading reason young children receive antibiotics or visit a physician. We evaluated the impact of ambient air pollution on outpatient physician visits for otitis media in a population-based birth cohort. : All children born in southwestern British Columbia during 1999-2000 were followed until the age of 2 years. Residential air pollution exposures were estimated for the first 24 months of life by inverse-distance weighting of monitor data (CO, NO, NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10, SO2), temporally adjusted land-use regression models (NO, NO2, PM2.5, black carbon, woodsmoke), and proximity to roads and point sources. We used generalized estimating equations to longitudinally assess the relationship between physician visits for otitis media (ICD-9) and average pollutant exposure in the 2 months prior to the visit, after adjustment for covariates. : Complete exposure and risk-factor data were available for 45,513 children (76% of all births). A total of 42% of subjects had 1 or more physician visits for otitis media during follow-up. Adjusted estimates for NO, PM2.5, and woodsmoke were consistently elevated (eg, relative risk of 1.10 [95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.12] per interquartile range [IQR] increase in NO; 1.32 [1.27-1.36] per IQR increase in days of woodsmoke exposure). No increased risks were observed for the remaining pollutants (eg, 1.00 [0.98-1.03] per IQR increase in PM10; 0.99 [0.97-1.01] per IQR increase in black carbon). : Modest but consistent associations were found between some measures of air pollution and otitis media in a large birth cohort exposed to relatively low levels of ambient air pollution.
Methods: Middle ear infection was identified during the first two years of life using ICD9 coding... more Methods: Middle ear infection was identified during the first two years of life using ICD9 coding of outpatient physician visits linked with antibiotic prescription data for all children born in southwestern British Columbia during 1999-2000. Exposure to traffic-related air ...
Few studies have investigated traffic-related air pollution as a risk factor for respiratory infe... more Few studies have investigated traffic-related air pollution as a risk factor for respiratory infections during early childhood. We aimed to investigate the association between air pollution and pneumonia, croup, and otitis media in 10 European birth cohorts--BAMSE (Sweden), GASPII (Italy), GINIplus and LISAplus (Germany), MAAS (United Kingdom), PIAMA (the Netherlands), and four INMA cohorts (Spain)--and to derive combined effect estimates using meta-analysis. Parent report of physician-diagnosed pneumonia, otitis media, and croup during early childhood were assessed in relation to annual average pollutant levels [nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, PM2.5-10 (coarse PM)], which were estimated using land use regression models and assigned to children based on their residential address at birth. Identical protocols were used to develop regression models for each study area as part of the ESCAPE project. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted effect estimates for each study, and random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate combined estimates. For pneumonia, combined adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were elevated and statistically significant for all pollutants except PM2.5 (e.g., OR=1.30; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.65 per 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 and OR=1.76; 95% CI: 1.00, 3.09 per 10-μg/m3 PM10). For otitis media and croup, results were generally null across all analyses except for NO2 and otitis media (OR=1.09; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.16 per 10-μg/m3). Our meta-analysis of 10 European birth cohorts within the ESCAPE project found consistent evidence for an association between air pollution and pneumonia in early childhood, and some evidence for an association with otitis media.
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