Self-reported traffic density and atopic disease in children. Results of the ISAAC Phase III survey in Muenster, Germany

• Published in: Pediatric allergy and immunology 2004-08, Vol.15 (4), p.331-339
• Main Authors: Behrens, Thomas, Taeger, Dirk, Maziak, Wasim, Duhme, Heinrich, Rzehak, Peter, Weiland, Stephan K., Keil, Ulrich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; asthma; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; General aspects; Germany - epidemiology; Humans; Hypersensitivity - epidemiology; ISAAC; Male; Medical sciences; Motor Vehicles; Prevalence; prevalence ratio; rhinitis; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; traffic density; Vehicle Emissions - adverse effects; wheezing
• ISSN: 0905-6157; 1399-3038
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2004.00157.x

Positive associations between traffic exposure and atopic respiratory disorders in children have been described in several studies. We analyzed data related to self‐reported truck traffic density and several symptoms and diagnoses of asthma and hay fever (12‐month wheezing and rhinitis symptoms, diagnoses of asthma and hay fever) from the ISAAC Phase III survey in Muenster, Germany, using core written and video questionnaires. Data were collected from representative school‐based samples (n = 7345) of 6–7‐ and 13–14‐yr‐olds. In 13–14‐yr‐olds, according to exposure levels categorized into rare, frequent, and constant, with the ‘never’‐category used as reference, the sex‐adjusted prevalence ratios were 1.29 (95% CI = 1.08–1.53), 1.58 (1.29–1.94), and 1.57 (1.18–2.10) for wheeze in the past 12 months, and 1.20 (1.06–1.34), 1.35 (1.17–1.55), and 1.69 (1.42–2.0) for rhinitis symptoms in the past 12 months. Prevalence ratios in 6–7‐yr‐olds and results for a diagnosis of asthma were less consistent while no positive association was detected between hay fever and truck traffic in both age groups. When analyses were based on a more general traffic indicator (self‐reported traffic noise), no consistent associations were observed. Our data provide support for the hypothesis that residential exposure to truck traffic may adversely affect the health of children.