Childhood air pollution exposure is related to cognitive, educational and mental health outcomes in childhood and adolescence: a longitudinal birth cohort study

Background

A growing body of evidence supports an association between air pollution exposure and adverse mental health outcomes, especially in adulthood however, very little is known about the effects of early life air pollution exposure during childhood. We examined longitudinal associations between the extent and timing of children's annual air pollution exposure from conception to age 10 years and a wide range of cognitive, educational and mental health outcomes in childhood and adolescence that were assessed prospectively as part of a large birth cohort study.

Methods

We linked historical air pollution data (μg.m-³) from pregnancy to age 10 years (1976-1987) using the addresses of all cohort members (n=1,265) of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) who were born in New Zealand in mid-1977. Latent Class Growth Mixture Models were used to characterise different trajectories of air pollution exposure from the prenatal period to age 10 years. We then examined associations between these air pollution exposure trajectories and 16 outcomes in childhood and adolescence using R Studio and Stata V18.

Findings

Four air pollution exposure trajectories were identified: i) low, ii) persistently high, iii) high prenatal and postnatal, and iv) elevated pre-school exposure. While some associations were attenuated, after adjusting for a variety of covariates spanning childhood, family sociodemographic background and family functioning characteristics, several associations remained. Relative to the lowest exposure trajectory, persistently high and high prenatal and postnatal exposure were both related to attentional problems. High prenatal and postnatal was also related to higher risk of substance abuse. Elevated pre-school exposure was associated with conduct problems, lower educational attainment and substance abuse and persistently high childhood exposure increased risk of substance abuse.

Conclusions

Our study highlights potential adverse and longer-term impacts of air pollution exposure during childhood on subsequent development in later life.