Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114330

Ying-Ying Meng, DrPH¹, Rudolph Rull, PhD¹, Beate Ritz, MD, PhD², Michelle Wilhelm, PhD², Paul English, PhD³, and Marlena Kane, MSW/MPH Cand¹. (1) UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, 10911 Weyburn Avenue Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90024-2887, 310 794-2931, yymeng@ucla.edu, (2) Department of Epidemiology, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, UCLA School of Public Health, BOX 951772, 73-320A CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, (3) Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Health Services, 1515 Clay St., Suite 1700, Oakland, CA 94612

Vehicular exhaust is a major source of air pollution in the United States. Few epidemiologic studies, however, have examined the relationship between traffic related exposures and the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms. Using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, we examined the relationship between residential daily vehicle traffic density and prevalence of: 1) daily or weekly asthma symptoms, or 2) an asthma-related emergency room visit or hospitalization. The population studied included 1,788 respondents from Los Angeles and San Diego Counties who reported: 1) having a previous asthma diagnosis, and 2) a geocodable residential cross street intersection. We mapped each respondent's reported residential cross-street intersection and identified the probable street segment of residence. We then estimated daily vehicle traffic density within 500 feet of the street segment using traffic count data and categorized density into 3 levels of low, medium and high traffic. We used logistic regression to estimate the effects of traffic density on daily or weekly asthma symptoms during the 12 months preceding the interview and on asthma-related emergency room visits or hospitalization during this period. Adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and poverty level, we observed an increase in daily or weekly symptoms (odds ratio (OR): 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 2.60) and asthma-related emergency room visits or hospitalizations (OR: 3.21; 95% CI: 1.64, 6.26) associated with the highest category of traffic density. These findings suggest that residence near areas of high-traffic roadways may increase the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms.

Learning Objectives:

• To recognize the relationship between traffic density and asthma symptoms. To identify potential environmental risk factors for frequent and severe asthma symptoms.

Keywords: Asthma, Air Pollutants

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.