TY - JOUR AU - Ranzi, Andrea AU - Freni Sterrantino, Anna AU - Forastiere, Francesco AU - Sartini, Claudio AU - Casale, Giovanna AU - Cavallini, Rino AU - De Togni, Aldo AU - Gallo, Lorenza AU - Lauriola, Paolo PY - 2015/11/26 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Asthmatic symptoms and air pollution: a panel study on children living in the Italian Po Valley JF - Geospatial Health JA - Geospat Health VL - 10 IS - 2 SE - Original Articles DO - 10.4081/gh.2015.366 UR - https://www.geospatialhealth.net/gh/article/view/366 SP - AB - <p>The Po Valley (Northern Italy) has elevated levels of air-pollution due to various sources of pollution and adverse weather conditions. This study evaluates the short-term effects of exposure to particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM<sub>10</sub>) on asthma symptoms in school-aged children. An initial cross-sectional survey was conducted in the area to estimate asthma prevalence in children. Out of a total of 250 asthmatic children identified by the study, 69 agreed to participate in a panel study. The PM<sub>10</sub> exposure assessment was based on a combination of geographic and environmental measurements leading to a focus on three different areas, each characterised by its own daily PM<sub>10</sub> level. Participants were monitored daily for respiratory symptoms for eight weeks (January-March 2006). We assessed the relationship between daily PM<sub>10</sub> exposure and occurrence of asthma symptoms with a generalised linear model based on a total of 3864 person-days of observation. Exposure to PM<sub>10</sub> per m<sup>3</sup> was found to be particularly associated with cough (OR=1.03, CI 95% 0.99; 1.08) and phlegm (OR=1.05, CI 95% 1.00; 1.10). In the most polluted area, exposure to PM10 was also associated with wheezing (OR=1.18, CI 95% 1.02; 1.37).</p> ER -