Children's Lung Function Was Lower in 2017-2018 than in 1995-1996: The Roles of Air Quality Change and...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Respiratory Health
• Environmental Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Childhood lung function is crucial for long-term respiratory health.
• Significant lifestyle changes and varying air quality trends have occurred in urban China over the past 20 years.
• The impact of these combined changes on children's lung function remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the changes in lung function among children in four Chinese cities between 1995-1996 and 2017-2018.
• To assess the association between air quality, lifestyle factors, and lung function trends in children.
• To identify potential reasons for observed generational differences in pediatric lung health.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal analysis of lung function data (Forced Vital Capacity - FVC, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second - FEV1) from over 4000 children (aged 6-13) across two distinct periods.
• Survey data on behavioral, residential, and health conditions were collected.
• Ambient air pollution data (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NOx, O3) were obtained through monitoring and modeling.

Main Results:

• Children in the later period (2017-2018) exhibited lower age- and covariate-adjusted FVC and FEV1 compared to the earlier period (1995-1996).
• The prevalence of low FVC and FEV1 was higher in the later cohort.
• While major pollutants like PM2.5 and PM10 decreased, ozone (O3) showed a slight increase, with higher O3 levels associated with reduced FVC in both boys and girls.

Conclusions:

• A generational decline in lung function has been observed in children from four Chinese cities.
• Despite improvements in some air pollutant concentrations, lung function has not improved, suggesting other factors are at play.
• Unidentified or less prominent risk factors from the earlier period may be contributing to the observed decline in pediatric lung function.