Inner-City Uncovered: Increased Asthma Risks Linked to Schools in High-Traffic Areas

A USC study found the risks for asthma associated with traffic-related pollution exposure at schools to be almost as high as residential exposure.

Children who attend schools located near high-traffic areas are 45% more likely to develop asthma compared to their cohorts on campuses situated at a significant distance from busy streets and freeways, according to a recent study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine on USC's campus south of Downtown.

The study is one of the few that has focused on the exposure among children at school to pollutants produced by motor vehicles, according to Rob McConnell, a professor of preventive medicine at Keck. Most prior studies have focused on the effects of traffic near residences.

"Exposure to pollution at locations other than home, especially where children spend a large portion of their day and may engage in physical activity, appears to influence asthma risk as well," McConnell said.

Rob McConnell, a professor of preventive medicine at Keck, says that most prior studies have overlooked campuses despite the amount of time children spend at school.

Researchers said they assessed the effects of traffic-related pollution exposure with a model that accounted for traffic volume, the distance of major roadways from homes and schools, and local weather conditions in 13 communities. McConnell said the model allowed them to examine the combined effects of local traffic-related pollution exposure at schools and residential settings.

The study found the risks associated with traffic-related pollution exposure at schools to be almost as high as residential exposure.

McConnell noted that a state law now prohibits the construction of campuses within 500 feet of freeways but added that many schools in Los Angeles and elsewhere remain affected because by busy streets.

McConnell called on public officials to keep the results of the study in mind as they consider current and future campuses.

"It's important to understand how these micro-environments where children spent a lot of their time outside of the home are impacting their health," he said. "Policies that reduce exposure to high-traffic environments may help to prevent this disease."

The study appears in current issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, a professional journal (see related story, "Report: Climate Law Healthy for Ethnic Communities").

Photo of Rob McConnell from uscnews.usc.edu; photo of L.A. traffic from Wikimedia Commons.

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