142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Link between exposures to air pollution and overweight or obesity

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 : 12:50 PM - 1:10 PM

Ying-Ying Meng, Dr Ph , Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Melissa C. Pickett, MPH , Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Susan H. Babey, PhD , Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Recent studies have linked overweight and obesity to increased air pollution exposure and living in unhealthy food environments. This study examines relationships between overweight/obesity and criteria air pollutants (ozone, particulate matter) and indicators of traffic-related pollutant exposures, controlling for food environment.

Using Geographic Information System software, we linked 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data with neighborhood environment indicators: 1) 36-month average exposures to government-monitored criteria air pollutants (O3, PM10, PM2.5); 2) NOX, NO and NO2  annual  average exposures estimated using land use regression (LUR); and 3) retail food environment. Using logistic regression, we evaluated relationships between increased pollutant exposure and odds of overweight/obesity, controlling for risk factors (poor retail food environment, physical activity, smoking) as well as age, sex, race, and income.

In adjusted analyses, 10 µg/m3 increases in PM10, and 5 µg/m3 increases in PM2.5 were associated with 16% and 14% respective increases in odds of overweight and 11% and 8% respective increases in odds of obesity. Increased O3 was associated with 6% increased odds of being obese. Positive associations were also observed between increases in LUR estimates (indicators of traffic-related exposure) and increased odds of overweight and obesity.

Our findings add to emerging evidence suggesting increased air pollution exposure may contribute to increases in overweight/obesity. Observed effects of air pollution on weight gain will have wide impact due to high incidence and ubiquity of exposure. The findings highlight the importance of intervening against modifiable, environmental risk factors contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Discuss role of criteria pollutant exposure in development of overweight/obesity. Describe the relationship between traffic-related pollutant exposures and overweight/obesity.

Keyword(s): Obesity, Environmental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am co-director of Chronic Disease research at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. I have been the principal investigator on multiple federal- and state-funded grants focused on air pollution exposure and its effects on various health outcomes.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5156.0: Linking Survey Data with Environmental Data to Examine Place-Based Population Health