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Childhood Air Pollution Exposure Tied to Later Bronchitic Symptoms

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 25, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 25, 2024 -- Childhood exposure to air pollution is associated with adult bronchitic symptoms, according to a study published online June 25 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Erika Garcia, Ph.D., M.P.H., from University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues evaluated associations between childhood air pollution exposure and self-reported adult bronchitic symptoms. Analysis included 1,308 participants in the Southern California Children’s Health Study.

The researchers found that at adult assessment (mean age, 32.0 years) 25 percent of participants reported bronchitic symptoms. There was an association between adult bronchitic symptoms and childhood exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter <10 μm (PM10). Per each standard deviation increase odds were 69 percent higher for NO2 and 51 percent for PM10. Results were similar when adjusting for childhood bronchitic symptoms or asthma. Associations with NO2 and PM10 were modified by childhood asthma, with larger associations among asthmatics.

"There may be a subpopulation that is more sensitive to the effects of air pollution," Garcia said in a statement. "We may want to be especially careful to protect them from exposure, so we can improve their outcomes later in life. Reducing air pollution would have benefits not only for current asthma in children but also for their respiratory health as they grow into adulthood."

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted July 2024

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