Relationship between distance from major roads and adolescent health in Japan

A relationship between distance from major roads and the prevalence of allergic disorders and general symptoms among junior high school students was assessed, separating the effects of distance of residence and school from the roads. Study subjects were 5,652 students aged 12 to 15 years. This study used diagnostic criteria from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. The questionnaire also asked about symptoms of headache, stomachache, tiredness, and cough and the shortest distance from residence to major roads. Distance from school to the nearest major road was measured on a map. Adjustment was made for gender, grade, the number of older siblings, smoking in the household, and maternal history of allergy. A shorter distance between residence and major roads was associated with an increased prevalence of headache, stomachache, tiredness, and cough. There was a marginally significant positive association between residence facing major roads and the prevalence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Residence within 100 m of major roads showed a tendency for a positive relationship with the prevalence of wheeze and atopic dermatitis. There was no apparent relationship between distance of school from major roads and allergic disorders or the general symptoms. The findings suggest that proximity of residence, not school, to major roads may be associated with an increased prevalence of allergic disorders, headache, stomachache, and tiredness among Japanese adolescents. Further investigations with more precise and detailed exposure and health outcome measurements are needed to corroborate the relationship between traffic related factors and allergic disorders and general symptoms.