Association between household incense burning and executive function in Chinese children

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Incense burning is prevalent in Asian countries, yet its impact on child neurodevelopment is understudied.
• Limited research exists on the association between household incense exposure and cognitive development in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between household incense burning and executive function in Chinese children.
• To identify potential modifying factors influencing this association.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 8293 children aged 6-12 years in Guangzhou, China.
• Data collected via questionnaires on incense burning frequency/duration and the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) for executive function assessment.
• Statistical analysis using a general linear model to determine associations and effect modification.

Main Results:

• Children exposed to occasional or frequent incense burning showed worse executive function performance compared to unexposed children.
• Frequent incense exposure was significantly associated with poorer behavioral regulation index (BRI) and metacognition index (MI).
• Stronger negative associations were observed in children with smoking parents and lower household income, indicating significant effect modification.

Conclusions:

• Household incense burning is associated with impaired executive function in school-aged children.
• The findings highlight vulnerable subgroups, including children in households with smokers and lower socioeconomic status.
• Public health initiatives should consider reducing indoor incense smoke exposure to protect children's neurodevelopment.