Exposure to air pollutants in different microenvironments and their relationship to the respiratory health of population traveling by several modes of transportation in Bogotá, Colombia: protocol for a mixed-methods study. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeadran Malagon-Rojas ◽  
Diana Carolina Pinzón-Silva ◽  
Eliana L Parra ◽  
Luisa Lagos ◽  
Yesith Guillermo Toloza-Perez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The City

BACKGROUND Air pollution in most countries exceeds the levels recommended by the World Health Organization, causing up to one-third of deaths due to non-communicable diseases. Particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC) from mobile sources are the main contaminants. OBJECTIVE This research will aim to assess the relationship of exposure to air pollutants in microenvironments (PM2.5 and BC), with respiratory health and physical activity in users traveling by different types of transportation in Bogotá METHODS A mixed-methods study based on a convergent parallel design will be carried out with workers and students, the sample will include 350 healthy transport users traveling by different urban transportation modes in three main routes in Bogotá. The study will be performed into two components. First, a descriptive qualitative component focused on asserting the individual perception of air pollution by semi-structured interviews. Second, a cross-sectional study towards a) measuring the individual exposure to PM2.5 and BC using portable instruments (DustTrak and microAeth, respectively) b) measuring the pulmonary function by spirometry; c) assessing physical activity with Accelerometry. The analysis will include a concurrent triangulation and logistic regression. This protocol was approved by the technical and ethical committee of Instituto Nacional de Salud, protocol number 7, issued on April 4, 2019. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants before conducting the study. RESULTS The findings, from a public/academy/private perspective, will be useful for the conception, design, and decision-making process in both sectors: health and mobility. This study includes personal measurements of PM2.5 and BC during typical trips in the city, allowing to know in real-time the exposure to these contaminants in the major roadways. Also, the study compares two different lung tests to identify possible short-term respiratory effects. As a limitation, the protocol will include participants from different institutions in the city which are not necessarily representative of all healthy populations in Bogota. In this sense, it is not possible to draw causation conclusions. In spite, convergent parallel designs could be especially problematic concerning integration because they often lack a clear plan for making a connection between the two sets of results. In this case, this kind of design is left with two separate sets of results that may not be well connected. Nevertheless, the study counts with a procedure for how to integrate qualitative and quantitative data in the interpretation of the results and also a logistic regression. The time that participants have to live in the city will be taken into account; this will be controlled in the stratified analysis. Another limitation is the wide age range and working status of the participants. Regional pollution levels and episodes (PM2.5) will be handled as confounding variables. Since the use of masks is part of the strategy for prevention and control that can limit the spread of COVID-19, as a biosecurity protocol all participants will use surgical face masks during field measurements. CONCLUSIONS In this study, it is hypothesized the exposure to air pollutants in microenvironments in Bogotá, Colombia. To our knowledge, this is the first mixed-methods study focused on PM2.5, BC, and respiratory health effects in a city above 2.000 meters above sea level. This study will provide an integration of air pollution exposure variables and respiratory health effects in different microenvironments.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation in children exposed to air pollution: a possible mechanism underlying respiratory health effects development

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Faseeha Suhaimi ◽  
Juliana Jalaludin ◽  
Suhaili Abu Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Deoxyribonucleic Acid ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Epigenetic Modifications ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Environmental Threat ◽  
English Articles

AbstractAir pollution is a substantial environmental threat to children and acts as acute and chronic disease risk factors alike. Several studies have previously evaluated epigenetic modifications concerning its exposure across various life stages. However, findings on epigenetic modifications as the consequences of air pollution during childhood are rather minimal. This review evaluated highly relevant studies in the field to analyze the existing literature regarding exposure to air pollution, with a focus on epigenetic alterations during childhood and their connections with respiratory health effects. The search was conducted using readily available electronic databases (PubMed and ScienceDirect) to screen for children’s studies on epigenetic mechanisms following either pre- or post-natal exposure to air pollutants. Studies relevant enough and matched the predetermined criteria were chosen to be reviewed. Non-English articles and studies that did not report both air monitoring and epigenetic outcomes in the same article were excluded. The review found that epigenetic changes have been linked with exposure to air pollutants during early life with evidence and reports of how they may deregulate the epigenome balance, thus inducing disease progression in the future. Epigenetic studies evolve as a promising new approach in deciphering the underlying impacts of air pollution on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) due to links established between some of these epigenetic mechanisms and illnesses.

scholarly journals Type 2 diabetes patients’ views on prevention of hypoglycaemia – a mixed methods study investigating self-management issues and self-identified causes of hypoglycaemia

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stijn Crutzen ◽  
Tessa van den Born-Bondt ◽  
Petra Denig ◽  
Katja Taxis
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Hypoglycaemic Event ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Management Issues

Abstract Background Hypoglycaemia is a common and potentially avoidable adverse event in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). It can reduce quality of life, increase healthcare costs, and reduce treatment success. We investigated self-management issues associated with hypoglycaemia and self-identified causes of hypoglycaemia in these patients. Methods In this mixed methods study qualitative semi-structured interviews were performed, which informed a subsequent quantitative survey in T2D patients. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded independently by two coders using directed content analysis, guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify the self-management issues and causes of hypoglycaemia collected in the survey for the respondents that had experienced at least one hypoglycaemic event in the past. Results Sixteen participants were interviewed, aged 59–84 years. Participants perceived difficulties in managing deviations from routine, and they sometimes lacked procedural knowledge to adjust medication, nutrition or physical activity to manage their glucose levels. Grief and loss of support due to the loss of a partner interfered with self-management and lead to hypoglycaemic events. Work ethic lead some participant to overexerting themselves, which in turn lead to hypoglycaemic events. The participants had difficulties preventing hypoglycaemic events, because they did not know the cause, suffered from impaired hypoglycaemia awareness and/or did not want to regularly measure their blood glucose. When they did recognise a cause, they identified issues with nutrition, physical activity, stress or medication. In total, 40% of respondents reported regular stress as an issue, 24% reported that they regularly overestimated their physical abilities, and 22% indicated they did not always know how to adjust their medication. Around 16% of patients could not always remember whether they took their medication, and 42% always took their medication at regular times. Among the 83 respondents with at least one hypoglycaemic event, common causes for hypoglycaemia mentioned were related to physical activity (67%), low food intake (52%), deviations from routine (35%) and emotional burden (28%). Accidental overuse of medication was reported by 10%. Conclusion People with T2D experience various issues with self-managing their glucose levels. This study underlines the importance of daily routine and being able to adjust medication in relation to more physical activity or less food intake as well as the ability to reduce and manage stress to prevent hypoglycaemic events.

scholarly journals Contribution of Local and Transboundary Air Pollution to the Urban Air Quality of Fukuoka, Japan

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Ayako Yoshino ◽  
Akinori Takami ◽  
Keiichiro Hara ◽  
Chiharu Nishita-Hara ◽  
Masahiko Hayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Gaseous Species ◽  
Transboundary Air Pollution ◽  
Local Air Pollution ◽  
The City

Transboundary air pollution (TAP) and local air pollution (LAP) influence the air quality of urban areas. Fukuoka, located on the west side of Japan and affected by TAP from the Asian continent, is a unique example for understanding the contribution of LAP and TAP. Gaseous species and particulate matter (PM) were measured for approximately three weeks in Fukuoka in the winter of 2018. We classified two distinctive periods, LAP and TAP, based on wind speed. The classification was supported by variations in the concentration of gaseous species and by backward trajectories. Most air pollutants, including NOx and PM, were high in the LAP period and low in the TAP period. However, ozone was the exception. Therefore, our findings suggest that reducing local emissions is necessary. Ozone was higher in the TAP period, and the variation in ozone concentration was relatively small, indicating that ozone was produced outside of the city and transported to Fukuoka. Thus, air pollutants must also be reduced at a regional scale, including in China.

scholarly journals A Mixed Methods Study on the Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity Associated with Residential Relocation

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Grazia Salvo ◽  
Bonnie M. Lashewicz ◽  
Patricia K. Doyle-Baker ◽  
Gavin R. McCormack
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Residential Relocation ◽  
Quantitative Phase ◽  
Neighbourhood Walkability ◽  
Perceived Change ◽  
Leisure Physical Activity

Despite evidence suggesting that neighbourhood characteristics are associated with physical activity, very few mixed methods studies investigate how relocating neighbourhood, and subsequent changes in the built environment, influences physical activity. This sequential mixed methods study estimates associations between changes in overall physical activity and transportation walking and cycling and changes in objectively assessed neighbourhood walkability (quantitative phase) and describes perceived barriers and facilitators to physical activity following residential relocation (qualitative phase). During the quantitative phase, self-reported changes in transportation walking, transportation cycling, and overall physical activity following residential relocation were measured using a 5-point scale: (1) a lot less now, (2) a little less now, (3) about the same, (4) a little more now, and (5) a lot more now. Walkability improvers reported a slight increase in transportation walking (mean = 3.29, standard deviation (SD) = 0.87), while walkability decliners reported little or no perceived change in their transportation walking after relocation (mean = 2.96, SD = 1.12). This difference approached statistical significance (p=0.053). Furthermore, walkability decliners reported a slight decrease in transportation cycling (mean = 2.69, SD = 0.96), while walkability improvers reported little or no perceived change in their transportation cycling after relocation (mean = 3.02, SD = 0.84). This difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Change in walkability resulting from relocation was not significantly associated with perceived change in overall physical activity. Our qualitative findings suggest that moving to a neighbourhood with safe paths connecting to nearby destinations can facilitate transportation walking and cycling. Some participants describe adjusting their leisure physical activity to compensate for changes in transportation walking and cycling. Strong contributors to neighbourhood leisure physical activity included the presence of aesthetic features and availability of recreational opportunities that allow for the creation of social connections with community and family.

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