| 1. |
- Gaupp-Berghausen, M, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of different recruitment methods: Longitudinal, web-based, pan-european physical activity through sustainable transport approaches (PASTA) project
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Internet Research. - : JMIR Publications Inc.. - 1438-8871. ; 21:5, s. e11492-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Sufficient sample size and minimal sample bias are core requirements for empirical data analyses. Combining opportunistic recruitment with a Web-based survey and data-collection platform yields new benefits over traditional recruitment approaches. Objective: This paper aims to report the success of different recruitment methods and obtain data on participants' characteristics, participation behavior, recruitment rates, and representativeness of the sample. Methods: A longitudinal, Web-based survey was implemented as part of the European PASTA (Physical Activity through Sustainable Transport Approaches) project, between November 2014 and December 2016. During this period, participants were recruited from 7 European cities on a rolling basis. A standardized guide on recruitment strategy was developed for all cities, to reach a sufficient number of adult participants. To make use of the strengths and minimize weakness, a combination of different opportunistic recruitment methods was applied. In addition, the random sampling approach was applied in the city of Örebro. To reduce the attrition rate and improve real-time monitoring, the Web-based platform featured a participant's and a researchers' user interface and dashboard. Results: Overall, 10,691 participants were recruited; most people found out about the survey through their workplace or employer (2300/10691, 21.51%), outreach promotion (2219/10691, 20.76%), and social media (1859/10691, 17.39%). The average number of questionnaires filled in per participant varied significantly between the cities (P<.001), with the highest number in Zurich (11.0, SE 0.33) and the lowest in Örebro (4.8, SE 0.17). Collaboration with local organizations, the use of Facebook and mailing lists, and direct street recruitment were the most effective approaches in reaching a high share of participants.
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| 2. |
- Bedada, G. B., et al.
(författare)
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Urban background particulate matter and allergic sensitization in adults of ECRHS II
- 2007
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Ingår i: Int J Hyg Environ Health. - : Elsevier BV. - 1438-4639. ; 210:6, s. 691-700
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown weak or inconsistent associations between ambient air pollutants and allergic sensitization. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether regional urban air pollution may partly explain the large variation in the prevalence of allergic sensitization across cities of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) II. METHODS: ECRHS is a cross-sectional survey initiated in 29 countries across Europe in the 1990s (ECRHS I) with a follow-up conducted 10 years later (ECRHS II). Subject characteristics were measured by questionnaires and blood tests conducted for the measurement of specific immunoglobulin E. Fine particle mass (PM(2.5), <2.5mum) and sulphur on PM(2.5) were measured in 21 centres and annual averages of urban regional background air pollution were calculated. Results were scaled by an interquartile range increase in ambient PM(2.5) (6.03mug/m(3)) and sulphur (1336ng/m(3)). Generalized estimating equations were applied to compute population average effect estimates with adjustment for age, gender, smoking habit, education and number of siblings. RESULTS: A notable variation in pollution level and prevalence of allergic sensitization was observed. Moreover, exposure to urban regional background air pollution was not associated with allergic sensitization; adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence interval were 1.02 (0.95-1.09) for PM(2.5) and 1.08 (0.86-1.31) for sulphur. These statistically non-significant associations were sensitive to model specification. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that regional air pollution measured at fixed sites is not associated with allergic sensitization among adults in ECRHS II.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Jacquemin, B., et al.
(författare)
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Annoyance due to air pollution in Europe
- 2007
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Ingår i: Int J Epidemiol. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 36:4, s. 809-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Annoyance due to air pollution is a subjective score of air quality, which has been incorporated into the National Environmental monitoring of some countries. The objectives of this study are to describe the variations in annoyance due to air pollution in Europe and its individual and environmental determinants. METHODS: This study took place in the context of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II (ECRHS II) that was conducted during 1999-2001. It included 25 centres in 12 countries and 7867 randomly selected adults from the general population. Annoyance due to air pollution was self-reported on an 11-point scale. Annual mean mass concentration of fine particles (PM(2.5)) and its sulphur (S) content were measured in 21 centres as a surrogate of urban air pollution. RESULTS: Forty-three per cent of participants reported moderate annoyance (1-5 on the scale) and 14% high annoyance (>/=6) with large differences across centres (2-40% of high annoyance). Participants in the Northern European countries reported less annoyance. Female gender, nocturnal dyspnoea, phlegm and rhinitis, self-reported car and heavy vehicle traffic in front of the home, high education, non-smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke were associated with higher annoyance levels. At the centre level, adjusted means of annoyance scores were moderately associated with sulphur urban levels (slope 1.43 mug m(-3), standard error 0.40, r = 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: Annoyance due to air pollution is frequent in Europe. Individuals' annoyance may be a useful measure of perceived ambient quality and could be considered a complementary tool for health surveillance.
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| 5. |
- Jacquemin, B, et al.
(författare)
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Association between annoyance and individuals' values of nitrogen dioxide in a European setting.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of epidemiology and community health. - 1470-2738. ; 62:5, s. e12-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Annoyance caused by air pollution has been proposed as an indicator of exposure to air pollution. The aim of this study was to assess the geographical homogeneity of the relationship between annoyance and modelled home-based nitrogen dioxide (NO2) measurements. METHODS: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey II was conducted in 2000-1, in 25 European centres in 12 countries. This analysis included 4753 subjects (from 37 in Tartu, Estonia, to 532 in Antwerp, Belgium) who answered the annoyance question and with available outdoor residential NO2 (4399 modelled and 354 measured) including 20 cities from 10 countries. Annoyance as a result of air pollution was self-reported on an 11-point scale (0, no disturbance at all; 10, intolerable disturbance). Demographic and socioeconomic factors, smoking status and the presence of respiratory symptoms or disease were measured through a standard questionnaire. Negative binomial regression was used. RESULTS: The median NO2 concentration was 27 microg.m(-3) (from 10 in Umeå, Sweden, to 57 in Barcelona, Spain). The mean of annoyance was 2.5 (from 0.7 in Reykjavik, Iceland, to 4.4 in Huelva, Spain). NO2 was associated with annoyance (ratio of the mean score 1.26 per 10 microg.m(-3), 95% CI 1.19 to 1.34). The association between NO2 and annoyance was heterogeneous among cities (p for heterogeneity <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Annoyance is associated with home outdoor air pollution but with a different strength by city. This indicates that annoyance is not a valid surrogate for air pollution exposure. Nevertheless, it may be a useful measure of perceived ambient air quality and could be considered a complementary tool for health surveillance.
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| 6. |
- Viana, M., et al.
(författare)
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Source apportionment of ambient PM2.5 at five Spanish centres of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS II)
- 2007
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 1352-2310 .- 1873-2844. ; 41:7, s. 1395-1406
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was sampled at 5 Spanish locations during the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II (ECRHS II). In an attempt to identify and quantify PM2.5 sources, source contribution analysis by principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on five datasets containing elemental composition of PM2.5 analysed by ED-XRF. A total of 4-5 factors were identified at each site, three of them being common to all sites (interpreted as traffic. mineral and secondary aerosols) whereas industrial sources were site-specific. Sea-salt was identified as independent source at all coastal locations except for Barcelona (where it was clustered with secondary aerosols). Despite their typically dominant coarse grain-size distribution, mineral and marine aerosols were clearly observed in PM2.5. Multi-linear regression analysis (MLRA) was applied to the data, showing that traffic was the main source of PM2.5 at the five sites (39-53% of PM2.5, 5.1-12.0 mu g m(-3)), while regional-scale secondary aerosols accounted for 14-34% of PM2.5 (2.6-4.5 mu g m(-3)), mineral matter for 13-31% (2.4-4.6 mu g m(-3)) and sea-salt made up 3-7% of the PM2.5 mass (0.4-1.3 mu g m(-3)). Consequently, despite regional and climatic variability throughout Spain, the same four main PM2.5 emission sources were identified at all the study sites and the differences between the relative contributions of each of these sources varied at most 20%. This would corroborate PM2.5 as a useful parameter for health studies and environmental policy-making, owing to the fact that it is not as subject to the influence of micro-sitting as other parameters such as PM10. African dust inputs were observed in the mineral source, adding on average 4-11 mu g m(-3) to the PM2.5 daily mean during dust outbreaks. On average, levels of Al, Si, Ti and Fe during African episodes were higher by a factor of 2-8 with respect to non-African days, whereas levels of local pollutants (absorption coefficient, S, Pb, Cl) showed smaller variations (factor of 0.5-2).
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