Association between exposure to ambient particulate matter and aggression among adolescents: a national school-based...

Particulate matter (PM) exposure affects the neurobehavioral function. However, the link between particulate matter (PM) and aggression remains incompletely elucidated. This study aimed to explore the associations between exposure to varying-sized PM and the risk of aggression in adolescents.

In the cross-sectional study, a total of 19852 participants, aged 10 to 18 years, were recruited using a multi-stage cluster sampling method from April to December 2021. Ambient PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ concentrations were sourced from the ChinaHighAirPollutants (CHAP) dataset. The Chinese version of the Buss-Warren Aggression Questionnaire (BWAQ) was used to measure aggression.

Among the adolescents surveyed, 4995 (25.16%) exhibited aggression. Each 10 µg/m³ increase in PM₁ (OR [95%CI]: 1.11 [1.04-1.19]), PM_1-2.5 (OR [95%CI]: 1.21 [1.09-1.35], and PM_2.5 (OR [95%CI]: 1.07 [1.03-1.12]) concentrations was associated with higher odds of aggression. The generalized weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression model showed a significantly positive association between exposure to different sizes of PM below PM₁₀ and aggression (OR [95% CI]: 1.10 [1.06-1.15]. In the interaction analyses, we observed a stronger correlation between varying-sized PM with aggression among males and senior high school students (P for interaction < 0.01). Additionally, the relationship between PM and aggression was mainly due to PM₁ and PM_1 - 2.5.

PM mixed exposure was positively associated with aggression, with associations primarily observed for PM₁ and PM_1 - 2.5. These findings suggest that effective control of PM with a focus on smaller particles may be more beneficial in reducing aggression.