IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 2236: Small-Scale Variations in Urban Air Pollution Levels Are Significantly Associated with Premature Births: A Case Study in S ão Paulo, Brazil

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 2236: Small-Scale Variations in Urban Air Pollution Levels Are Significantly Associated with Premature Births: A Case Study in São Paulo, Brazil International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15102236 Authors: Silvia Regina Dias Medici Saldiva Ligia Vizeu Barrozo Clea Rodrigues Leone Marcelo Antunes Failla Eliana de Aquino Bonilha Regina Tomie Ivata Bernal Regiani Carvalho de Oliveira Paulo Hilário Nascimento Saldiva Premature birth is the result of a complex interaction among genetic, epigenetic, behavioral, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. We evaluated the possible associations between air pollution and the incidence of prematurity in spatial clusters of high and low prevalence in the municipality of São Paulo. It is a spatial case-control study. The residential addresses of mothers with live births that occurred in 2012 and 2013 were geo-coded. A spatial scan statistical test performed to identify possible low-prevalence and high-prevalence clusters of premature births. After identifying, the spatial clusters were drawn samples of cases and controls in each cluster. Mothers were interviewed face-to-face using questionnaires. Air pollution exposure was assessed by passive tubes (NO2 and O3) as well as by the determination of trace elements’ concentration in tree bark. Binary logistic regression models were applied to determine the significance of the ri...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research