| 1. |
- Lindgren, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Traffic exposure associated with allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis in adults. A cross-sectional study in southern Sweden.
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Journal of Health Geographics. - 1476-072X. ; 8:May 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is conflicting evidence that traffic-related air pollution is a risk factor for allergic conditions. Few studies have investigated this in adults. In adults, a high proportion of asthma, rhinitis and eczema is triggered by non-allergic factors. We investigated traffic as a risk factor for allergic versus non-allergic asthma and rhinitis, and eczema, in adults. A questionnaire from 2000 (n = 9319, 18-77 years) provided individual data about disease outcome and self-reported traffic exposure. Additional exposure assessments were obtained using Geographical Informations Systems (GIS). Residential addresses were linked to the national Swedish Road Database and to a pollutant database with modelled annual means of NOx (Nitrogen Oxids). RESULTS: Living within 100 m from a road with a traffic intensity of >10 cars/min (24 hour mean) was associated with prevalence of current asthma reported to be triggered by allergic factors (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.23-2.72) and with allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.30, 95%CI = (1.05-1.61). No relation was seen with asthma or rhinitis triggered by other factors. Living within 100 m of a road with >10 cars/min was also associated with hand-eczema during the last 12 months (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.19-2.23), but not with allergic eczema or diagnosed hand-eczema. Consistent results were seen using self-reported traffic, but the associations with NOx were less consistent. CONCLUSION: Exposure to traffic was associated with a higher prevalence of allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis, but not with asthma or rhinitis triggered by non-allergic factors. This difference was suggested by the overall pattern, but only clear using GIS-measured traffic intensity as a proxy for traffic exposure. An association was also found with hand-eczema during the last 12 months. We suggest that asthma and rhinitis should not be treated as homogenous groups when estimating effects from traffic in adults.
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| 2. |
- Lindgren, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Traffic-related air pollution associated with prevalence of asthma and COPD/chronic bronchitis. A cross-sectional study in Southern Sweden
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Journal of Health Geographics. - 1476-072X. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: There is growing evidence that air pollution from traffic has adverse long-term effects on chronic respiratory disease in children, but there are few studies and more inconclusive results in adults. We examined associations between residential traffic and asthma and COPD in adults in southern Sweden. A postal questionnaire in 2000 (n = 9319, 18-77 years) provided disease status, and self-reported exposure to traffic. A Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to link geocoded residential addresses to a Swedish road database and an emission database for NOx. Results: Living within 100 m of a road with > 10 cars/minute (compared with having no heavy road within this distance) was associated with prevalence of asthma diagnosis (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.04-1.89), and COPD diagnosis (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.11-2.4), as well as asthma and chronic bronchitis symptoms. Self-reported traffic exposure was associated with asthma diagnosis and COPD diagnosis, and with asthma symptoms. Annual average NOx was associated with COPD diagnosis and symptoms of asthma and chronic bronchitis. Conclusion: Living close to traffic was associated with prevalence of asthma diagnosis, COPD diagnosis, and symptoms of asthma and bronchitis. This indicates that traffic-related air pollution has both long-term and short-term effects on chronic respiratory disease in adults, even in a region with overall low levels of air pollution.
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| 3. |
- Dobric, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Preschool Children’s Inhalation Rates Estimated from Accelerometers—A Tool to Estimate Children’s Exposure to Air Pollution
- 2022
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Ingår i: Aerosol and Air Quality Research. - : AAGR Aerosol and Air Quality Research. - 1680-8584 .- 2071-1409. ; 22:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Children are particularly sensitive to air pollution exposure, and their personal exposures may differ significantly from those of adults. One key factor for understanding the personal inhaled dose of air pollutants is the respiratory minute ventilation (Ve). To estimate the amount of particles circulated through the lungs, 24 h averages of Ve are often used. These averages poorly capture variations in Ve during the day, and between individuals. We here develop and implement a concept to assess individual Ve of children, with minimal impact on their natural activity and movement pattern by using ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers. Activity of 136 preschool children in the ages 3 to 5 years was logged using accelerometers while the children attended their preschools during a week. A linear regression equation is developed and used for estimating Ve from the accelerometer data retrieved for each individual child. The results show large variations in weekly average Ve between individuals, ranging from 0.33 to 0.48 L min–1 kg–1. Over the days the averages of the individuals’ 1st and 3rd quartiles were 0.28 and 0.48 L min–1 kg–1, respectively. Outdoor activities resulted in a 17% higher Ve than indoor activities, which may be important to consider when estimating the inhaled dose of air pollutants since pollution levels and particle toxicities can be different indoors and outdoors. The observations motivate the use of individual values of Ve in exposure assessments and suggest that accelerometers are a suitable tool for estimating children’s individual Ve in their natural environment. Combined with time resolved local air pollution monitoring, these measurements can provide the basis of a more precise estimate of children’s inhaled dose of air pollutants. © The Author(s).
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| 4. |
- Linell, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of breathing variables on modelled particle lung deposition at physical activity for children and adults
- 2024
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Ingår i: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media B.V.. - 1873-9318 .- 1873-9326. ; 17:4, s. 843-856
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The respiratory tract deposited fraction (DF) is the link between exposure and health effects of airborne particles. Here, we investigate how breathing pattern alterations at increasing physical activity affect DF in different regions of the respiratory tract and compare DF between adults and children (5 and 10 years old). We performed a literature review on the alteration of tidal volume with minute ventilation at increasing physical activity and used the results to model the size resolved (0.001–10 µm) DF, primarily using the deposition models from NCRP and Yeh and Schum (1980), but also MPPD. We found a shift in the deposited size distribution with increasing physical activity—DF of ultrafine particles increased in the alveolar region and decreased in the other regions, while DF of coarser particles decreased in the alveolar region and increased in the extra-thoracic region. Children had a 10–20% higher DF of ultrafine particles in the alveolar region compared to adults. We also present parametrizations of the daily average size resolved (0.005–5 µm) DF, accounting for varying physical activity throughout the day and oral/nasal breathing. These can be applied to any size distribution to estimate deposited doses. We found that deposited mass and number doses were more than twice as high for 5-year-olds compared to adults when normalized for body weight, primarily caused by their higher weight normalized minute ventilation. This demonstrates the importance of studying children’s exposure to air pollution and not only rely on data from adults.
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| 5. |
- Axmon, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Access to urban green spaces and use of social services and institutional long-term care among older people in Malmö, Sweden: a longitudinal register study
- 2024
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Ingår i: BMC Geriatrics. - 1471-2318. ; 24:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Finding ways to prolong independence in daily life among older people would be beneficial for both individuals and society. Urban green spaces have been found to improve health, but only a few studies have evaluated the association between urban green spaces and independence in daily life. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term effect of urban green spaces on independence in daily life, using social services and support, mobility aids, and relocation to institutional long-term care as proxies, among community dwelling people 65 + years.METHODS: We identified 40 357 people 65 + years living in the city of Malmö, Sweden in 2010. Using geographical information systems (GIS), we determined the amount of urban green spaces (total, public, and quiet) within 300 m of each person's residence. All three measures were categorized based on their respective percentiles, so that the first quartile represented the 25% with the least access and the fourth quartile the 25% with the most access. In 2015 and 2019, we assessed the outcomes minor assistance (non-personal support), major assistance (personal support), and relocation into institutional long-term care. These three outcome measures were used as proxies for independence in daily life. The effect of amount of urban green spaces in 2010 on the three outcomes in 2015 and 2019, respectively, was assessed by pairwise comparing the three highest quartiles to the lowest.RESULTS: Compared to the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile of quiet green spaces in 2010 were less likely to receive minor assistance in both 2015 and 2019. Besides this, there were no indications that any of the measures of urban green space affected independence in daily life at the five- and nine-year follow-up, respectively.CONCLUSION: Although urban green spaces are known to have positive impact on health, physical activity, and social cohesion among older people, we found no effect of total, public, or quiet green spaces on independence in daily life. This could possibly be a result of the choice of measures of urban green spaces, including spatial and temporal aspects, an inability to capture important qualitative aspects of the green spaces, or the proxy measures used to assess independence in daily life.
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| 6. |
- Flanagan, Erin, et al.
(författare)
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Connecting Air Pollution Exposure to Socioeconomic Status : A Cross-Sectional Study on Environmental Injustice among Pregnant Women in Scania, Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 16:24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Environmental injustice, characterized by lower socioeconomic status (SES) persons being subjected to higher air pollution concentrations, was explored among pregnant women in Scania, Sweden. Understanding if the general reduction of air pollution recorded is enjoyed by all SES groups could illuminate existing inequalities and inform policy development. "Maternal Air Pollution in Southern Sweden", an epidemiological database, contains data for 48,777 pregnancies in Scanian hospital catchment areas and includes births from 1999-2009. SES predictors considered included education level, household disposable income, and birth country. A Gaussian dispersion model was used to model women's average NOX and PM2.5 exposure at home residence over the pregnancy period. Total concentrations were dichotomized into emission levels below/above respective Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air objectives. The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. A sensitivity analysis facilitated the investigation of associations' variation over time. Lower-SES women born outside Sweden were disproportionately exposed to higher pollutant concentrations. Odds of exposure to NOX above Swedish EPA objectives reduced over time, especially for low-SES persons. Environmental injustice exists in Scania, but it lessened with declining overall air pollution levels, implying that continued air quality improvement could help protect vulnerable populations and further reduce environmental inequalities.
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| 7. |
- Stroh, Emilie, et al.
(författare)
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Grönskans kvaliteter och barns hälsa : Kunskapsunderlag om barns hälsa och utveckling vid vistelse i gröna miljöer med fokus på ekosystemtjänster
- 2024
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna rapport är en del av Folkhälsomyndighetens uppdrag om att sprida kunskapinom miljörelaterad hälsa för att främja en miljö som bidrar till en god och jämlikhälsa i befolkningen. Rapporten riktar sig främst till beslutsfattare och handläggaresom arbetar med miljörelaterad hälsa på nationell, regional och lokal nivå. Denutgör ett viktigt beslutsunderlag för prioriteringar och åtgärder inom detmiljörelaterade folkhälsoarbetet, i synnerhet inom hälsoskyddsområdet och imiljömålsarbetet.I februari 2021 publicerade Folkhälsomyndigheten Miljöhälsorapport för barn.Miljöhälsorapporten beskriver olika miljöfaktorers betydelse för barns hälsa, samthur hälsan har utvecklats över tid och är fördelad bland barn i olika grupper ibefolkningen. I Miljöhälsorapporten konstaterades bland annat att barn tillvårdnadshavare som har grundskola som högsta utbildning, eller är utrikesfödda,oftare har sämre tillgång till grönområden i sin boendemiljö jämfört med barn tillvårdnadshavare som har högre utbildning eller är inrikesfödda. Det återspeglasockså i hur ofta barn vistas i grönområden. Barn med utrikesfödda vårdnadshavareoch barn som bor trångt vistas mer sällan i grönområden jämfört med andra barn.Grönska och grönområden främjar hälsan, bland annat genom att minska stress,exponering för UV-strålning och uppmuntra till fysisk aktivitet. UtifrånMiljöhälsorapportens sammanställning av utvecklingen kopplat till barn och derastillgång till och vistelse i grönområden såg myndigheten ett behov av ett aktuelltkunskapsunderlag om grönskans kvaliteter och betydelse för barns hälsa.Rapporten utgör en sammanställning av den vetenskapliga litteraturen när detgäller relationen mellan grönskans kvaliteter och barns hälsa. Den har tagits framav Emilie Stroh, forskare vid Arbets- och miljömedicin, Lunds universitet, FredrikaMårtensson, docent i miljöpsykologi vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, JuliaSchneider, forskningsassistent vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, samt MäritJansson, docent i landskapsplanering vid Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, på uppdragav Folkhälsomyndigheten. Projektledare på Folkhälsomyndigheten har varitutredare Emma Franzén, och ansvarig enhetschef har varit Karin Ljung Björklund.
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| 8. |
- Stroh, Emilie
(författare)
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Luftkvalitén i barns utemiljö – en kunskapsinventering
- 2019. - 2019:10
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- På uppdrag av Naturvårdsverket har avdelningen för Arbets- ochmiljömedicin vid Lunds Universitet utfört en kunskapsinventering blandlandets kommuner kring luftkvalitén på förskolebarns utemiljöer ocheffekter/strategier för att eventuellt förbättra detta. Denna inventeringgenomfördes under hösten 2018 och början av 2019 och ska ligga till grundför det Hälsorelaterade Miljöövervaknings projektet ”Luftföroreningar iförskolemiljö”. Förhoppningen är att projektet på sikt ska kunna liggatillgrund för att utveckla riktlinjer och åtgärdsförslag inom exempelvisstadsplanering och nyetablering av förskolor för att förbättra luftkvalitén ochutemiljöerna för små barn.
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| 9. |
- Stroh, Emilie, et al.
(författare)
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Measured and modeled personal and environmental NO2 exposure
- 2012
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Ingår i: Population Health Metrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-7954. ; 10:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract in Undetermined Background: Measured or modeled levels of outdoor air pollution are being used as proxies for individual exposure in a growing number of epidemiological studies. We studied the accuracy of such approaches, in comparison with measured individual levels, and also combined modeled levels for each subject's workplace with the levels at their residence to investigate the influence of living and working in different places on individual exposure levels. Methods: A GIS-based dispersion model and an emissions database were used to model concentrations of NO2 at the subject's residence. Modeled levels were then compared with measured levels of NO2. Personal exposure was also modeled based on levels of NO2 at the subject's residence in combination with levels of NO2 at their workplace during working hours. Results: There was a good agreement between measured facade levels and modeled residential NO2 levels (r(s) = 0.8, p > 0.001); however, the agreement between measured and modeled outdoor levels and measured personal exposure was poor with overestimations at low levels and underestimation at high levels (r(s) = 0.5, p > 0.001 and r(s) = 0.4, p > 0.001) even when compensating for workplace location (r(s) = 0.4, p > 0.001). Conclusion: Modeling residential levels of NO2 proved to be a useful method of estimating facade concentrations. However, the agreement between outdoor levels (both modeled and measured) and personal exposure was, although significant, rather poor even when compensating for workplace location. These results indicate that personal exposure cannot be fully approximated by outdoor levels and that differences in personal activity patterns or household characteristics should be carefully considered when conducting exposure studies. This is an important finding that may help to correct substantial bias in epidemiological studies.
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| 10. |
- Taj, Tahir, et al.
(författare)
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Short-Term Associations between Air Pollution Concentrations and Respiratory Health-Comparing Primary Health Care Visits, Hospital Admissions, and Emergency Department Visits in a Multi-Municipality Study
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 14:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Acute effects of air pollution on respiratory health have traditionally been investigated with data on inpatient admissions, emergency room visits, and mortality. In this study, we aim to describe the total acute effects of air pollution on health care use for respiratory symptoms (ICD10-J00-J99). This will be done by investigating primary health care (PHC) visits, inpatient admissions, and emergency room visits together in five municipalities in southern Sweden, using a case-crossover design. Between 2005 and 2010, there were 81,019 visits to primary health care, 38,217 emergency room visits, and 25,271 inpatient admissions for respiratory symptoms in the study area. There was a 1.85% increase (95% CI: 0.52 to 3.20) in the number of primary health care visits associated with a 10 mu g/m(3) increase in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in Malmo, but not in the other municipalities. Air pollution levels were generally not associated with emergency room visits or inpatient admissions, with one exception (in Helsingborg there was a 2.52% increase in emergency room visits for respiratory symptoms associated with a 10 mu g/m(3) increase in PM10). In conclusion, the results give weak support for short-term effects of air pollution on health care use associated with respiratory health symptoms in the study area.
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