Meteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional study

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dc.contributor.authorWhite, Neilen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorteWaterNaude, Jimen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorvan der Walt, Anitaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRavenscroft, Granten_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRoberts, Wesleyen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorEhrlich, Rodneyen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-11T12:04:17Z
dc.date.available2015-11-11T12:04:17Z
dc.date.issued2009en_ZA
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND: Community concern about asthma prompted an epidemiological study of children living near a petrochemical refinery in Cape Town, South Africa. Because of resource constraints and the complexity of refinery emissions, neither direct environmental measurements nor modelling of airborne pollutants was possible. Instead a meteorologically derived exposure metric was calculated with the refinery as the putative point source. The study aimed to determine whether (1) asthma symptom prevalences were elevated compared to comparable areas in Cape Town and (2) whether there was an association between asthma symptom prevalences and the derived exposure metric. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out of all consenting school children aged 11 to 14 years attending schools in a defined area, utilizing the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) written and video questionnaires. Information was collected on potential confounders, e.g. parental history of atopic disease, active and passive smoking by the participant, birth order, number of children in the home and distance from a major road. The exposure metric combined residential distance of each child from the refinery with a wind vector in the form of wind speed, wind direction and proportion of the year blown. RESULTS: A total of 2,361 children from 17 schools met the criteria for inclusion. In multivariate analysis, meteorologically estimated exposure (MEE), but not simple distance from the refinery, was positively associated with having to take an inhaler to school [odds ratio per interquartile range (OR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.40], and with a number of video elicited asthma symptoms, including recent waking with wheezing (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.06-1.66) and frequent wheezing at rest (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.54). Symptom prevalences were higher than in other areas of the city, with frequent waking with wheezing being in great excess (OR 8.92, 95% CI 4.79-16.63). CONCLUSION: The results support the hypothesis of an increased prevalence of asthma symptoms among children in the area as a result of refinery emissions and provide a substantive basis for community concern. The methodology also provides a low cost means of testing hypotheses about point source pollutant effects on surrounding populations of children.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWhite, N., teWaterNaude, J., van der Walt, A., Ravenscroft, G., Roberts, W., & Ehrlich, R. (2009). Meteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional study. <i>Environmental Health</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14909en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWhite, Neil, Jim teWaterNaude, Anita van der Walt, Grant Ravenscroft, Wesley Roberts, and Rodney Ehrlich "Meteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional study." <i>Environmental Health</i> (2009) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14909en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWhite, N., van der Walt, A., Ravenscroft, G., Roberts, W., & Ehrlich, R. (2009). Meteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional study. Environmental Health, 8(1), 1-10.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - White, Neil AU - teWaterNaude, Jim AU - van der Walt, Anita AU - Ravenscroft, Grant AU - Roberts, Wesley AU - Ehrlich, Rodney AB - BACKGROUND: Community concern about asthma prompted an epidemiological study of children living near a petrochemical refinery in Cape Town, South Africa. Because of resource constraints and the complexity of refinery emissions, neither direct environmental measurements nor modelling of airborne pollutants was possible. Instead a meteorologically derived exposure metric was calculated with the refinery as the putative point source. The study aimed to determine whether (1) asthma symptom prevalences were elevated compared to comparable areas in Cape Town and (2) whether there was an association between asthma symptom prevalences and the derived exposure metric. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out of all consenting school children aged 11 to 14 years attending schools in a defined area, utilizing the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) written and video questionnaires. Information was collected on potential confounders, e.g. parental history of atopic disease, active and passive smoking by the participant, birth order, number of children in the home and distance from a major road. The exposure metric combined residential distance of each child from the refinery with a wind vector in the form of wind speed, wind direction and proportion of the year blown. RESULTS: A total of 2,361 children from 17 schools met the criteria for inclusion. In multivariate analysis, meteorologically estimated exposure (MEE), but not simple distance from the refinery, was positively associated with having to take an inhaler to school [odds ratio per interquartile range (OR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.40], and with a number of video elicited asthma symptoms, including recent waking with wheezing (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.06-1.66) and frequent wheezing at rest (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.54). Symptom prevalences were higher than in other areas of the city, with frequent waking with wheezing being in great excess (OR 8.92, 95% CI 4.79-16.63). CONCLUSION: The results support the hypothesis of an increased prevalence of asthma symptoms among children in the area as a result of refinery emissions and provide a substantive basis for community concern. The methodology also provides a low cost means of testing hypotheses about point source pollutant effects on surrounding populations of children. DA - 2009 DB - OpenUCT DO - 10.1186/1476-069X-8-45 DP - University of Cape Town J1 - Environmental Health LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2009 T1 - Meteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional study TI - Meteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional study UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14909 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14909
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-8-45
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWhite N, teWaterNaude J, van der Walt A, Ravenscroft G, Roberts W, Ehrlich R. Meteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional study. Environmental Health. 2009; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14909.en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltden_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Health and Family Medicineen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.rightsThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licenseen_ZA
dc.rights.holder2009 White et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.en_ZA
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0en_ZA
dc.sourceEnvironmental Healthen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://www.ehjournal.net/en_ZA
dc.subject.otherPollutant Concentration Measurementen_ZA
dc.subject.otherAsthma Symptomen_ZA
dc.subject.otherAsthma Symptom Prevalenceen_ZA
dc.subject.otherLung Function Deficiten_ZA
dc.subject.otherISAAC Phaseen_ZA
dc.subject.otherSmall Area Deprivationen_ZA
dc.subject.otherLow Income Schoolen_ZA
dc.subject.otherTraffic Exposureen_ZA
dc.subject.otherWheeze Symptomen_ZA
dc.subject.otherAsthmaen_ZA
dc.titleMeteorologically estimated exposure but not distance predicts asthma symptoms in schoolchildren in the environs of a petrochemical refinery: a cross-sectional studyen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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