Impact Of Air Pollution On Pediatric Respiratory Health A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Original Article

Abstract

Background: Air pollution as an important public health concern, more so those children. Some of the known consequences of pollution especially PM2.5 have been associated with effects on children’s respiratory system resulting to asthma and impaired lung capacity. Alarmingly, nitrogen di-oxide (NO2) has also been determined to induce effects on the respiratory system of young people. The present research focuses on how air pollution has an impact on children’s respiratory system in one year.

Objectives: to evaluate changes in lung function, the rate of asthma, and respiratory symptoms in children exposed to increased air pollution during five years.

Study Design: A longitudinal cohort study

Place and duration of study. Department Of Pediatrics People University Of Medical Sciences Of Woman, Nawabshah from july 2019 to july 2024

Methods: 120 children of ages group 5 years to 12 years from the urban regions with different air pollution degrees. For atmospheric samples, data was collected annually ; however, spirometry and medical records of human subjects recorded lung function and respiratory disease data. T-tests were used in the comparison of means, regression procedures were employed for modelling the relationship between pollution and health, and p-values were obtained from chi-squares.

Results: Children in the areas with high pollution rated on the AQLM displayed lower lung function. The average forced expiratory volume (FEV1) was reduced by an average of 7.5 % (standard deviation 3.1) for every increase of 10 µg/m³ in PM2.5 indicated (p<0.01). There was a significant increase in asthma prevalence, and it was 28% higher in the high-pollution area (mean difference = 0.279; 95% CI = 0.119, 0.440; p < 0.05). These children also complained of more respiratory symptoms, including wheezing and persistent coughing.

Conclusions: our study validates prior findings that air pollution exposure adversely affects pediatric lung health through a rise in asthma and decreased lung capacity. It means that policy interventions are required to decrease the pollution intensity.