The influence of neighborhood roadways on respiratory symptoms among elementary schoolchildren.

Dales, Robert; Wheeler, Amanda J; Mahmud, Mamun; Frescura, Anna-Maria; Liu, Ling · J Occup Environ Med · 2009

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

To investigate the respiratory health effects of living near roadways. We administered a questionnaire to Windsor school children. Exposure to roadways was defined as the total length of roadways within a 200 meter radius around the postal code of each household calculated using geographic information systems. The adjusted odds ratios comparing the highest to the lowest exposure (roadway density) quintiles, were statistically significant for wheeze 1.23 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.41) (P = 0.0041) and wheeze with dyspnea 1.27 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.52) (P = 0.0125). Expressed as a continuous variable roadway density was associated with asthma, odds ratio 1.08 (95% CI: 1.012 to 1.149) equivalent to an 8% relative increase in the odds of asthma for an interquartile increase (0.6 km) in roadway density. Residential traffic appears to adversely influence respiratory health.

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