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. 2023 Aug 15;231(Pt 3):116235.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116235. Epub 2023 May 25.

Neighborhood violence and socioeconomic deprivation influence associations between acute air pollution and temperature on childhood asthma in New York city

Rachit Sharma  1 , Jamie L Humphrey  2 , Lisa Frueh  3 , Ellen J Kinnee  4 , Perry E Sheffield  5 , Jane E Clougherty  3
Affiliations

Neighborhood violence and socioeconomic deprivation influence associations between acute air pollution and temperature on childhood asthma in New York city

Rachit Sharma et al. Environ Res. .

Abstract

Ambient air pollution, temperature, and social stressor exposures are linked with asthma risk, with potential synergistic effects. We examined associations for acute pollution and temperature exposures, with modification by neighborhood violent crime and socioeconomic deprivation, on asthma morbidity among children aged 5-17 years year-round in New York City. Using conditional logistic regression in a time-stratified, case-crossover design, we quantified percent excess risk of asthma event per 10-unit increase in daily, residence-specific exposures to PM2.5, NO2, SO2, O3, and minimum daily temperature (Tmin). Data on 145,834 asthma cases presenting to NYC emergency departments from 2005 to 2011 were obtained from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS). Residence- and day-specific spatiotemporal exposures were assigned using the NYC Community Air Survey (NYCCAS) spatial data and daily EPA pollution and NOAA weather data. Point-level NYPD violent crime data for 2009 (study midpoint) was aggregated, and Socioeconomic Deprivation Index (SDI) scores assigned, by census tract. Separate models were fit for each pollutant or temperature exposure for lag days 0-6, controlling for co-exposures and humidity, and mutually-adjusted interactions (modification) by quintile of violent crime and SDI were assessed. We observed stronger main effects for PM2.5 and SO2 in the cold season on lag day 1 [4.90% (95% CI: 3.77-6.04) and 8.57% (5.99-11.21), respectively]; Tmin in the cold season on lag day 0 [2.26% (1.25-3.28)]; and NO2 and O3 in the warm season on lag days 1 [7.86% (6.66-9.07)] and 2 [4.75% (3.53-5.97)], respectively. Violence and SDI modified the main effects in a non-linear manner; contrary to hypotheses, we found stronger associations in lower-violence and -deprivation quintiles. At very high stressor exposures, although asthma exacerbations were highly prevalent, pollution effects were less apparent-suggesting potential saturation effects in socio-environmental synergism.

Keywords: Air pollution; Asthma; Children; Deprivation; Temperature; Violence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Census-tract-level distribution of all asthma case events per 1,000 residents aged 5-17 years across residential boroughs of New York City from 2005 to 2011.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Spatial surfaces (NYCCAS estimates) of the environmental exposures for all asthma case events.
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
Spatial distribution of the census tract-level social stressors and racial composition indicators across New York City.
Figure 4:
Figure 4:
Warm season main effects of (A) PM2.5, (B) NO2, (C) O3, and (D) Tmin, following the main co-exposure adjustment strategy.
Figure 5:
Figure 5:
Cold season main effects of (A) PM2.5, (B) NO2, (C) SO2, and (D) Tmin, following the main co-exposure adjustment strategy.
Figure 6:
Figure 6:
Warm season effects of (A) PM2.5, (B) NO2, (C) O3, (D) Tmin by quintiles of violent crime rate from models including interaction terms.
Figure 7:
Figure 7:
Cold season effects of (A) PM2.5, (B) NO2, (C) SO2, (D) Tmin by quintiles of violent crime rate from models including interaction terms.
Figure 8:
Figure 8:
Warm season effects of (A) PM2.5, (B) NO2, (C) O3, (D) Tmin by quintiles of Socioeconomic Deprivation Index score from models including interaction terms.
Figure 9:
Figure 9:
Cold season effects of (A) PM2.5, (B) NO2, (C) SO2, (D) Tmin by quintiles of Socioeconomic Deprivation Index score from models including interaction terms.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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