Traffic Exposure and Lung Function in Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Abstract

P-029 Introduction: Traffic is a major contributor to air pollution for those who live close to busy roads. The relation between traffic exposure and lung function in adults remains inconclusive. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of the association between traffic exposure and lung function in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a population-based cohort of middle-aged men and women. Geographical information system (GIS)-mapped traffic density and distance to major roads were used as measures of traffic exposure. After controlling for potential confounders including demographic factors, personal and neighborhood level socioeconomic characteristics, cigarette smoking, and background air pollution, we compared standardized measures of FEV1 and FVC at various levels of traffic exposure. Results: Higher traffic density was significantly associated with lower FEV1 and FVC in females. Relative to the lowest quartile of traffic density, the adjusted differences across increasing quartiles were 1.8, −17.8 and −23.4 ml for FEV1 (p trend = 0.04), and −0.2, −25.2 and −35.9 ml for FVC (p trend = 0.01). Using distance from major roads, FEV1 was −17.6 ml (95%CI −38.1ml, 2.9 ml) and FVC was −19.1 ml (95%CI −43.1 ml, 5.0 ml) lower for subjects living within 100 meters compared to subjects living further away. We did not find a consistent effect of traffic exposure on lung function among men. Discussion and Conclusions: The results suggest that traffic-related air pollution may adversely affect lung function in adult women.