EVALUATION OF CHILDREN LUNG FUNCTION IN URBAN AREAS OF SÃO PAULO STATE AND ITS CORRELATION WITH AIR QUALITY

Abstract

Deleterious effects of air pollution on human health have been observed, including increases in respiratory symptoms and decreases in lung function. Few studies in Brazil have investigated this association in the population of asthmatic children and there is no study in those regions. Objective: The aim of this study is evaluate the influence of air pollution on lung function in children. Method: Panel study with longitudinal assessment for 12 months of exposure to air pollutants and their effects on lung function in children and adolescents aged 6 years and above but less than 12 years living in the cities of Santos, Cubatão and Presidente Prudente. In each location 53 asthmatic and 53 non asthmatic children will be selected. The data will be obtained from the monthly spirometry, home record of two daily measurements of peak expiratory flow and nutritional assessment, self-administered questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and the Asthma Control Questionnaire - Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). Information on air quality will be obtained through data from CETESB. Equations models for generalized estimating and mixed effects regression models will be adopted to analyze the effects of varying the exposure to air pollution on respiratory function, controlled for temperature, humidity and nutritional status. (AU)