Parental stress increases the detrimental effect of traffic exposure on children's lung function.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Emerging evidence indicates that psychosocial stress enhances the effect of traffic exposure on the development of asthma.

Objectives

We hypothesized that psychosocial stress would also modify the effect of traffic exposure on lung function deficits.

Methods

We studied 1,399 participants in the Southern California Children's Health Study undergoing lung function testing (mean age, 11.2 yr). We used hierarchical mixed models to assess the joint effect of traffic-related air pollution and stress on lung function.

Measurements and main results

Psychosocial stress in each child's household was assessed based on parental response to the perceived stress scale (range, 0-16) at study entry. Exposures to nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and total oxides of nit

SUBMITTER: Islam T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3208647 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature