HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Modig, L. Articles by Forsberg, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Modig, L. Articles by Forsberg, B.

Vehicle exhaust exposure in an incident case–control study of adult asthma

Depts of ¹ Public Health and Clinical Medicine, and ² Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, and ³ Lung and Allergy Research, National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, and ⁴ OLIN Studies, Dept of Medicine, Sunderby Central Hospital of Norrbotten, Luleå, Sweden.

CORRESPONDENCE: L. Modig, Dept of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden. Fax: 46 907852456. E-mail: lars.modig{at}envmed.umu.se

Keywords: Adults, incident asthma, nitrogen dioxide, traffic flow

Received: June 17, 2005
Accepted February 27, 2006

The objective of this case–control study was to evaluate whether traffic-related air pollution exposure at home increases the risk of asthma in adults and to compare two commonly used exposure variables and differences between urban and rural living.

Incident cases of asthma and matched controls of subjects aged 20–60 yrs were recruited in Luleå, Sweden. In total 203 cases and 203 controls were enrolled in the study. Exposure was estimated by traffic flow and measured levels of outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in the surrounding environment of each home, respectively. The relationship between measured levels of NO₂ and traffic flow was studied using linear regression.

The results indicated a nonsignificant tendency between living in a home close to a high traffic flow and an increased risk of asthma. The association between asthma and measured NO₂ was weak and not significant, but the skin-prick test result acted as an effect modifier with a borderline significant association among positives. The correlation between traffic flow and outdoor NO₂ was low.

The results suggest that living close to high traffic flows might increase the asthma incidence in adults, while the tendency for nitrogen dioxide was only seen among atopics. Traffic flow and nitrogen dioxide had a lower than expected correlation.