Effects of early life exposure to particulates on respiratory health through childhood and adolescence: ALSPAC

哮喘和喘息性疾病是损害儿童生活质量、使用初级保健、服用处方药和住院的主要原因。越来越多的证据表明，空气污染物可能在导致哮喘和相关疾病(如儿童喘息)以及一旦发生后加剧这些疾病方面发挥重要作用。也有证据表明，在生命早期暴露于空气污染物，包括出生前的胎儿，可能是重要的。我们旨在调查在产前和婴儿期早期暴露于细颗粒物空气污染(PM2.5)对儿童的过敏、呼吸道症状、医生诊断的哮喘和直到青春期的肺功能的长期影响。这项研究利用了雅芳父母和孩子纵向研究(ALSPAC)现有的丰富信息，该研究是世界上规模最大、特征最佳的出生队列研究之一。可获得产前阶段的数据，包括从儿童到15岁以上的健康数据的详细测量和捕获。我们将补充这些数据，在从胎儿期到第一年生命结束的肺发育关键期内，居住地PM2.5的估计暴露量。这些暴露既反映了当地的污染源(主要是与交通有关的污染)，也反映了污染物的长途运输。将对这些暴露进行详细的模拟，并在研究区域进行监测，以帮助验证所获得的估计。然后，将考虑居住地和(如相关)学校，估计每天暴露在PM2.5中的量。在分析暴露于PM2.5与健康结果之间的联系时，将考虑到可能混淆这种联系的其他变量，包括个人社会经济变量、生活方式和个人特征，以及其他环境变量，如环境烟草烟雾和环境温度。研究结果将为空气污染物管制政策提供参考，以保障公众健康。

Asthma and wheezing illness are major causes of impaired quality of life, use of primary care, consumption of prescribed drugs and hospital admission in children. There is increasing evidence that air pollutants may be important in both causing asthma and related conditions such as childhood wheeze, as well as exacerbating these conditions once they have occurred. There is also evidence that exposures to air pollutants in early life, including of the fetus before birth, may be important. We aim to investigate the long-term effects of exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) in the prenatal period and early infancy on allergy, respiratory symptoms, doctor-diagnosed asthma and lung function of children through to adolescence. The research takes advantage of the wealth of existing information from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), one of the largest and best characterised birth cohort studies in the world. Data are available from the antenatal period, with detailed measurement and capture of health data through childhood to age 15+ years. We will supplement these data with estimated exposures to PM2.5 at place of residence during the critical period of lung development from the fetal period until the end of the first year of life. These exposures will reflect both local sources (mainly traffic-related pollution) and long-distance transport of pollutants. Detailed modelling of these exposures will be carried out, together with monitoring in the study area in order to help validate the estimates obtained. Daily estimates of exposure to PM2.5 will then be made, taking account of place of residence and (where relevant) school. Associations between exposures to PM2.5 and the health outcomes will be analysed taking account of other variables that might confound this association including individual socio-economic variables, lifestyle and personal characteristics, as well as other environmental variables such as environmental tobacco smoke and ambient temperature. Results of the research will inform policy on regulation of air pollutants for the protection of public health.