scholarly journals Socioeconomic Status and Route Characteristics in Relation to Children’s Exposure to Air Pollution from Road Traffic While Walking to School in Auckland, New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4996
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Rafiepourgatabi ◽  
Alistair Woodward ◽  
Jennifer A. Salmond ◽  
Kim N. Dirks
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Walking To School ◽  
Children’S Exposure

Pedestrian exposure to traffic-related air pollution depends on many factors; including the nature of the traffic on nearby roads and the route characteristics. In this study, we investigated the effects of differences in vehicle fleet and transport infrastructure on children’s exposure to traffic-related air pollution during their morning walk to school in Auckland, New Zealand. Five pairs of routes to schools—each including a low and a high socioeconomic status (SES) school—were selected and traversed over 7–8 days for each pair while measuring particle number concentration (PNC) and GPS coordinates. At the same time, a sample of 200 license plates of cars from each school’s neighborhood was captured using videos, and the age of each car was extracted using an online database. Both the mean age of the cars and the percentage of old cars (>14 years) were found to be higher in the low SES areas. However, neither measure of vehicle age was associated with a significant difference in exposure to PNC for pedestrians. Route features including narrow footpaths and a higher density of traffic lights may be associated with higher levels of PNC exposure. These findings provide insight into the role of urban design in promoting healthy commutes to school.

The role of driver reliability in road safety

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Road Safety ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
The Road ◽  
Road Signs ◽  
Psychophysiological State ◽  
Road Data

The driver of an automobile is the key part of the “driver–car–road–environment” system, the stable functioning of which determines the efficiency and safety of road traffic. The driver as the operator of the “driver –car–road–environment” system receives most of the information from the road, data from moving and standing objects, road signs, traffic lights, surface conditions and traffic conditions. An analysis of most traffic accidents shows that the weakest part of the “driver–car–road–environment" system, restricting its effectiveness and dependability, is the person. To ensure the necessary dependability and safety, the driver of any vehicle must be careful. This is supported by an appropriate psychophysiological state, which, in turn, depends on many factors. The article presents an analysis of research work taking into account the influence of various factors on the dependability of a vehicle driver. Means and methods of research are described. Recommendations are given on creating a stand for studying the influence of the psychophysiological state of the driver on road safety. Keywords Driver dependability; road traffic; automobile; traffic environment; road accidents; road safety

The Role of Road Infrastructure and Air Pollution in the Recent Suburbanization of India’s Cities

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Holian ◽  
Kala Seetharam Sridhar
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Central City ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Multiple Regression Models ◽  
Indian Cities

This article re-examines the suburbanization of Indian cities by calculating population density gradients, for a large number of urban agglomerations, using recent data and Mills’ two-point method. In the next step, we estimate multiple regression models to explore the determinants of suburbanization. This study presents several methodological advances over previous research, by incorporating new measures of transport infrastructure, air pollution and city–suburb income ratios as determinants of suburbanization of Indian cities. Our results clearly show that suburbanization is higher in urban areas with higher population and lower central city–suburban literacy ratios. We find some evidence that suburbanization is higher in urban areas with more road transport infrastructure, consistent with our expectations, though results concerning air pollution run counter to expectations. However, these could relate to caveats regarding the data and methods.

scholarly journals LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION AND THE RISK OF DEMENTIA: THE ROLE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S119-S119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debora Rizzuto ◽  
Giulia Grande ◽  
Petter Ljungman ◽  
Tom Bellander
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
National Study ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Aim: We aimed to investigate the association between long-term air pollution and cognitive decline and dementia, and to clarify the role of CVD on the studied association. Methods: We examined 3150 dementia-free 60+ year-olds in the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, Stockholm for up to 13 years, during which 363 persons developed dementia. Outdoor air pollution levels at the home address were assessed yearly for all participants, using a dispersion model for nitrogen oxides (NOX), mainly emitted from road traffic. Mixed-effect linear regression models were used to quantify the association between air pollution and cognitive decline (with the Mini Mental State Examination). The risk of dementia, in keeping with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV edition, was estimated using competing-risks models, considering death as competing event, and considering an exposure window 0-5 years before a year at risk. Stratified analyses by CVD were also performed. Results: Higher levels of traffic-related residential air pollution were associated with steeper cognitive decline over the follow-up period. After controlling for potential confounders, higher levels of air pollution were associated with increased risk of dementia (HR: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.05-1.22, for an µg/m3 unit increase NOX). The stratified analyses showed that the presence of CVD enhanced the effect of air pollution on dementia risk. Conclusion: Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution was associated with a higher risk of dementia. Cardiovascular disease might have played a role in this association.

scholarly journals Does Socioeconomic Inequality Explain Ethnic Differences in Nicotine Dependence? Evidence from a New Zealand Birth Cohort

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dannette Marie ◽  
David M. Fergusson ◽  
Joseph M. Boden
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Nicotine Dependence ◽  
Cultural Identification ◽  
Health And Development

Objective: The present study examined the role of socioeconomic status and cultural identity in the association between ethnicity and nicotine dependence, in a birth cohort of >1000 methods young people studied to age 30. Methods: Data were gathered on ethnicity, cultural identification, nicotine dependence, and socioeconomic factors, as part of a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort (the Christchurch Health and Development Study). Results: Those reporting Māori identity had rates of nicotine dependence that were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than rates for non-Māori. Control for socioeconomic factors reduced the associations between ethnic identity and nicotine dependence to statistical non-significance. In addition, there was no evidence of a statistically significant association between Māori cultural identity and nicotine dependence, nor was there evidence of gender differences in the association between ethnic identity and nicotine dependence, after controlling for socioeconomic factors. Conclusions: The higher rates of nicotine dependence observed among Māori appear to be attributable to differences in socioeconomic status. Efforts to improve the socioeconomic standing of Māori should therefore help to reduce rates of nicotine dependence in this population.

scholarly journals The Role of Socioeconomic Status in the Association of Lung Function and Air Pollution—A Pooled Analysis of Three Adult ESCAPE Cohorts

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 1901
Author(s):  
Dirk Keidel ◽  
Josep Maria Anto ◽  
Xavier Basagaña ◽  
Roberto Bono ◽  
Emilie Burte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Lung Function ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adverse Health Effects

Ambient air pollution is a leading environmental risk factor and its broad spectrum of adverse health effects includes a decrease in lung function. Socioeconomic status (SES) is known to be associated with both air pollution exposure and respiratory function. This study assesses the role of SES either as confounder or effect modifier of the association between ambient air pollution and lung function. Cross-sectional data from three European multicenter adult cohorts were pooled to assess factors associated with lung function, including annual means of home outdoor NO2. Pre-bronchodilator lung function was measured according to the ATS-criteria. Multiple mixed linear models with random intercepts for study areas were used. Three different factors (education, occupation and neighborhood unemployment rate) were considered to represent SES. NO2 exposure was negatively associated with lung function. Occupation and neighborhood unemployment rates were not associated with lung function. However, the inclusion of the SES-variable education improved the models and the air pollution-lung function associations got slightly stronger. NO2 associations with lung function were not substantially modified by SES-variables. In this multicenter European study we could show that SES plays a role as a confounder in the association of ambient NO2 exposure with lung function.

Empirical Study on Discrete Modeling of Urban Intersection Management System

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-38
Author(s):  
Sergey Chuprov ◽  
Ilia Viksnin ◽  
Iuliia Kim ◽  
Nikita Tursukov ◽  
Gleb Nedosekin
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Unmanned Vehicles ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Intelligent Transport System ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Traffic Jams ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Intersection Management

With the growing number of cars in the world, there are corresponding problems that society needs to solve. In metropolises, intersections are generators of traffic jams and traffic accidents. The introduction of unmanned autonomous vehicles is one of the solutions to increase safety on the road. To avoid traffic jams, it is necessary to optimize road traffic. This article proposes a model of the intersection management system. The system aims to organize a conflict-free, safe, and optimal traversal of AVs within the framework of the intelligent transport system of a smart city. The model assumes that at each intersection there are objects of transport infrastructure responsible for building routes at the intersection. To assess the feasibility of the presented model, the authors developed a custom software simulator of a network of urban intersections and conducted experiments. Based on simulation experiments, the use of the developed model can significantly reduce the time spent by unmanned vehicles to overcome the intersection compared to traffic lights.

scholarly journals Burden of Disease Assessment of Ambient Air Pollution and Premature Mortality in Urban Areas: The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Transportation

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soheil Sohrabi ◽  
Joe Zietsman ◽  
Haneen Khreis
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Disease Assessment ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
The Us

With recent rapid urbanization, sustainable development is required to prevent health risks associated with adverse environmental exposures from the unsustainable development of cities. Ambient air pollution is the greatest environmental risk factor for human health and is responsible for considerable levels of mortality worldwide. Burden of disease assessment (BoD) of air pollution in and across cities, and how these estimates vary according to socioeconomic status and exposure to road traffic, can help city planners and health practitioners to mitigate adverse exposures and promote public health. In this study, we quantified the health impacts of air pollution exposure (PM2.5 and NO2) at the census tract level in Houston, Texas, employing a standard BoD assessment framework to estimate the premature deaths (adults 30 to 78 years old) attributable to PM2.5 and NO2. We found that 631 (95% CI: 366–809) premature deaths were attributable to PM2.5 in Houston, and 159 (95% CI: 0-609) were attributable to NO2, in 2010. Complying with the World Health Organization air quality guidelines (annual mean: 10 μg/m3 for PM2.5) and the US National Ambient Air Quality standard (annual mean: 12 μg/m3 for PM2.5) could save 82 (95% CI: 42–95) and 8 (95% CI: 6–10) lives in Houston, respectively. PM2.5 was responsible for 7.3% of all-cause premature deaths in Houston, in 2010, which is higher than the death rate associated with diabetes mellites, Alzheimer’s disease, or motor vehicle crashes in the US. Households with lower income had a higher risk of adverse exposure and attributable premature deaths. We also showed a positive relationship between health impacts attributable to air pollution and road traffic passing through census tracts, which was more prominent for NO2.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic status and university students’ perceptions of English as a professional language

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvira Barrios ◽  
Luis Alejandro Lopez-Agudo
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
University Students ◽  
Professional Skill ◽  
Anova Analysis ◽  
Future Career ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Competence ◽  
The University ◽  
Energy Engineering

The study behind this paper aimed to assess the influence of the socioeconomic status (SES) on university students’ expectations of English use in their prospective career and their perceptions of English competence as a key professional skill. The sample consisted of 109 students from two Bachelor Degree courses at the University of Málaga (Spain), one in Energy Engineering and the other one in Pedagogy. An ANOVA analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the three SES groups in the sample as to their expectations and perceptions concerning English competence. However, descriptive statistics show that the participants in the lower SES group have lower expectations regarding the role of English in their future career. Additionally, the students in this group hold a lower perception of English as a key professional skill. These findings lead us to conclude that lower SES students may be less inclined to enrol in partially or fully taught English courses at university, and that their perceptions may actually be a factor in their future career prospects in areas where English is extensively used as a lingua franca.

Healthier lobsters in a marine reserve: effects of fishing on disease incidence in the spiny lobster, Jasus edwardsii

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Freeman ◽  
A. B. MacDiarmid
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Bacterial Infection ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Small Proportion ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Marine Reserve ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Jasus Edwardsii

Comparison of the health of spiny lobsters (Jasus edwardsii) within and adjacent to a New Zealand marine reserve revealed marked differences in the incidence of a handling-related bacterial infection. Lobsters outside the reserve were significantly more affected by tail fan necrosis than lobsters within the reserve, with up to 17% of the males caught outside the reserve over a 3-year period showing signs of tail fan necrosis, compared with less than 2% within the reserve. The incidence of tail fan necrosis changed abruptly at the marine reserve boundaries, strongly implying repeated handling as the causal agent. The incidence of tail fan necrosis in males increased up to the minimum legal size, consistent with a handling effect. Female lobsters, which comprise only a small proportion of the catch in this area, were comparatively unaffected by tail fan necrosis. There was no significant difference in the recapture rates of individuals tagged either with or without tail fan necrosis, but tagged individuals outside the reserve were more likely to develop tail fan necrosis than tagged individuals within the reserve. These findings have implications for both the dynamics of the lobster populations and their management, and highlight the role of marine protected areas in providing a baseline against which such effects of fishing can be assessed.

scholarly journals Does the oxidative stress play a role in the associations between outdoor air pollution and persistent asthma in adults? Findings from the EGEA study

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anaïs Havet ◽  
Zhen Li ◽  
Farid Zerimech ◽  
Margaux Sanchez ◽  
Valérie Siroux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Persistent Asthma ◽  
Total Effect ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Outdoor Air Pollution ◽  
Positive Direct

Abstract Background Evidences that oxidative stress plays a role in the associations between outdoor air pollution and asthma are growing. We aimed to study the role of plasma fluorescent oxidation products levels (FlOPs; an oxidative stress-related biomarker), as potential mediators, in the associations between outdoor air pollution and persistent asthma. Methods Analyses were conducted in 204 adult asthmatics followed up in the French case-control and family study on asthma (EGEA; the Epidemiological study of the Genetic and Environmental factors of Asthma). Persistent asthma was defined as having current asthma at EGEA2 (baseline, 2003–2007) and EGEA3 (follow-up, 2011–2013). Exposures to nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, road traffic, particulate matter with a diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 μm were estimated by ESCAPE models (2009–2010), and ozone (O3) by IFEN models (2004). We used a mediation analysis to assess the mediated effect by FlOPs levels and the interaction between FlOPs levels and air pollution. Results FlOPs levels increased with PM10 and O3 (adjusted β = 0.04 (95%CI 0.001–0.08), aβ = 0.04 (95%CI 0.009–0.07) per 10 μg/m3, respectively), and the risk of persistent asthma increased with FlOPs levels (aOR = 1.81 (95%CI 1.08–3.02)). The risk of persistent asthma decreased with exposures to NO2, NOx and PM2.5 (aOR ranging from 0.62 to 0.94), and increased with exposures to PM10, O3, O3-summer and road traffic, the greater effect being observed for O3 (aOR = 1.78, 95% CI 0.73–4.37, per 10 μg/m3). Using mediation analysis, we observed a positive total effect (aOR = 2.16, 95%CI 0.70–11.9), a positive direct effect of O3 on persistent asthma (OR = 1.68, 95%CI 0.57–7.25), and a positive indirect effect mediated by FIOPs levels (aOR = 1.28 (95%CI 1.01–2.29)) accounting for 41% of the total effect. Conclusions Our results add insights on the role of oxidative stress in the association between air pollution and persistent asthma.

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