Kayla Dellefratte1, Jeanette A Stingone2, Luz Claudio1. 1. Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. 2. Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous research shows that environmental and social factors contribute to the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between early-life exposure to common ambient air pollutants (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, also known as BTEX), household material hardship (a measure of socio-economic status), and ADHD-suggestive behaviours in kindergarten-age children. METHODS: Pollutant exposure estimated from the 2002 National Air Toxics Assessment at each child's residential ZIP code at enrolment was linked to the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (n = 4650). Material hardship was assigned as a composite score of access to food, health care, and housing. Kindergarten teachers rated children's behaviours and activity in the classroom using a five-point Likert scale. Children with summary scores in the bottom decile were classified as displaying ADHD-suggestive behaviours. Logistic regression models were constructed to estimate the association between both BTEX exposure and material hardship on ADHD-suggestive behaviours. RESULTS: The odds of displaying ADHD-suggestive behaviours were greater in children with combined high-level exposure to BTEX and in those experiencing material hardship (odds ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12, 2.11, and OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.25, 3.59, respectively), adjusting for covariates. These associations were stronger when restricting the study population to urban areas. There was no evidence of interaction between early life BTEX exposure and material hardship, although the effects of BTEX exposure were slightly greater in magnitude among those with higher material hardship scores. CONCLUSIONS: Children exposed to air toxics, material hardship, or both early in life are more likely to display signs of ADHD-suggestive behaviours as assessed by their kindergarten teachers. The associations between exposures to air pollution and to socio-economic hardship were observed in all children but were particularly strong in those living in urban areas.
BACKGROUND: Previous research shows that environmental and social factors contribute to the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between early-life exposure to common ambient air pollutants (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, also known as BTEX), household material hardship (a measure of socio-economic status), and ADHD-suggestive behaviours in kindergarten-age children. METHODS: Pollutant exposure estimated from the 2002 National Air Toxics Assessment at each child's residential ZIP code at enrolment was linked to the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (n = 4650). Material hardship was assigned as a composite score of access to food, health care, and housing. Kindergarten teachers rated children's behaviours and activity in the classroom using a five-point Likert scale. Children with summary scores in the bottom decile were classified as displaying ADHD-suggestive behaviours. Logistic regression models were constructed to estimate the association between both BTEX exposure and material hardship on ADHD-suggestive behaviours. RESULTS: The odds of displaying ADHD-suggestive behaviours were greater in children with combined high-level exposure to BTEX and in those experiencing material hardship (odds ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12, 2.11, and OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.25, 3.59, respectively), adjusting for covariates. These associations were stronger when restricting the study population to urban areas. There was no evidence of interaction between early life BTEX exposure and material hardship, although the effects of BTEX exposure were slightly greater in magnitude among those with higher material hardship scores. CONCLUSIONS:Children exposed to air toxics, material hardship, or both early in life are more likely to display signs of ADHD-suggestive behaviours as assessed by their kindergarten teachers. The associations between exposures to air pollution and to socio-economic hardship were observed in all children but were particularly strong in those living in urban areas.
Authors: Stephen V Faraone; Roy H Perlis; Alysa E Doyle; Jordan W Smoller; Jennifer J Goralnick; Meredith A Holmgren; Pamela Sklar Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2005-01-21 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Joan Forns; Jordi Sunyer; Raquel Garcia-Esteban; Daniela Porta; Akhgar Ghassabian; Lise Giorgis-Allemand; Tong Gong; Ulrike Gehring; Mette Sørensen; Marie Standl; Dorothee Sugiri; Catarina Almqvist; Ainara Andiarena; Chiara Badaloní; Rob Beelen; Dietrich Berdel; Giulia Cesaroni; Marie-Aline Charles; Kirsten Thorup Eriksen; Marisa Estarlich; Mariana F Fernandez; Anne Forhan; Vincent W V Jaddoe; Michal Korek; Paul Lichtenstein; Aitana Lertxundi; Maria-Jose Lopez-Espinosa; Iana Markevych; Audrey de Nazelle; Ole Raaschou-Nielsen; Mark Nieuwenhuijsen; Rocío Pérez-Lobato; Claire Philippat; Rémy Slama; Carla M T Tiesler; Frank C Verhulst; Andrea von Berg; Tanja Vrijkotte; Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen; Barbara Heude; Ursula Krämer; Joachim Heinrich; Henning Tiemeier; Francesco Forastiere; Göran Pershagen; Bert Brunekreef; Mònica Guxens Journal: Epidemiology Date: 2018-09 Impact factor: 4.822