Long-term ambient air pollution exposure and respiratory impedance in children: A cross-sectional study
1National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal, India.
Insights
Children in highly polluted Agra showed greater small airway dysfunction compared to those in cleaner Bhopal, indicating ambient air pollution
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Pulmonary Physiology
Background:
- Ambient air pollution (AAP) is a growing concern for respiratory health in children.
- Understanding the impact of varying AAP levels on pediatric respiratory function is crucial for public health interventions.
- India faces significant challenges with high levels of AAP in urban areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare respiratory impedance in children residing in areas with different levels of ambient air pollution (AAP).
- To investigate the association between high AAP and indicators of small airway dysfunction in children.
- To establish a baseline for future longitudinal studies on air pollution and child respiratory health.
Main Methods:
- A comparative cross-sectional pilot study involving healthy school children from Agra (high AAP) and Bhopal (lower AAP).
- Respiratory impedance was measured using the forced oscillation technique (FOT) at 5, 11, and 19 Hz.
- Key parameters including respiratory resistance at 5 Hz (R5), small airway resistance (R5-19), and respiratory reactance at 5 Hz (X5) were analyzed using Student's t-test.
Main Results:
- Children from Agra exhibited significantly higher respiratory resistance (R5 and R5-19) and reactance (X5) compared to children from Bhopal.
- These findings suggest a greater magnitude of small airway dysfunction in children exposed to higher AAP levels.
- Differences in respiratory impedance were more pronounced in boys than in girls.
Conclusions:
- Higher ambient air pollution is associated with increased small airway dysfunction in children.
- The study highlights the detrimental effects of AAP on pediatric respiratory health.
- Further research with larger sample sizes and longitudinal data is recommended to confirm these findings and explore long-term impacts.
Objectives:
The present study was aimed to compare the respiratory impedance of children residing in areas with different ambient air pollution (AAP).
Methods:
A comparative cross-sectional pilot study was carried out in healthy school children of two cities in India i.e. Agra and Bhopal. Agra is one of the most polluted cities of India and AAP of Agra is much higher as compared to Bhopal, the reference city in the present study. The respiratory impedance was measured at 5, 11, and 19 Hz by forced oscillation technique (FOT). The anthropometric parameters, respiratory resistance at 5 Hz (R5), small airway resistance (R5-19), and reparatory reactance at 5 Hz (X5) of children from above two cities were compared by Student's t-test.
Results:
A total 114 children (57 boys) from Agra and 151 children (76 boys) from Bhopal aged 9-16 years were recruited. The children from Agra were younger (11.9 ± 1.9 yr vs. 13.1 ± 2.2 yr, p < 0.001) as compared to Bhopal, though their anthropometric parameters were comparable. The magnitude of R5 (5.53 ± 1.81 cmH20/L/s vs. 5.10 ± 1.77 cmH20/L/s, p = 0.05), X5 (-1.46 ± 0.65 cmH20/L/s vs. -1.17 ± 0.63 cmH20/L/s, p < 0.001), and R5-19 (0.79 ± 0.79 cmH20/L/s vs. 0.56 ± 0.78 cmH20/L/s, p = 0.023) in children of Agra were higher as compared to children of Bhopal. The differences in impedance were significantly higher between boys, but not between girls.
Conclusions:
The present study demonstrates a higher magnitude of small airway dysfunction in children exposed to high AAP. A future study involving larger samples and longitudinal measurements of respiratory impedance will provide better insights.
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