Open Collections

UBC Faculty Research and Publications

The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes : initial results Parker, Jennifer D.; Rich, David Q.; Glinianaia, Svetlana V.; Leem, Jong Han; Wartenberg, Daniel; Bell, Michelle L.; Bonzini, Matteo; Brauer, Michael (Of University of British Columbia); Darrow, Lyndsey; Gehring, Ulrike; Gouveia, Nelson; Grillo, Paolo; Ha, Eunhee; van den Hooven, Edith H.; Jalaludin, Bin; Jesdale, Bill M.; Lepeule, Johanna; Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Morgan, Geoffrey G.; Slama, Rémy; Pierik, Frank H.; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia; Sathyanarayana, Sheela; Seo, Juhee; Strickland, Matthew; Tamburic, Lillian; Woodruff, Tracey J.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The findings of prior studies of air pollution effects on adverse birth outcomes are difficult to synthesize because of differences in study design. OBJECTIVES: The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes was formed to understand how differences in research methods contribute to variations in findings. We initiated a feasibility study to a) assess the ability of geographically diverse research groups to analyze their data sets using a common protocol and b) perform location-specific analyses of air pollution effects on birth weight using a standardized statistical approach. METHODS: Fourteen research groups from nine countries participated. We developed a protocol to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for the association between particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀) and low birth weight (LBW) among term births, adjusted first for socioeconomic status (SES) and second for additional location-specific variables. RESULTS: Among locations with data for the PM₁₀ analysis, ORs estimating the relative risk of term LBW associated with a 10-μg/m³ increase in average PM₁₀ concentration during pregnancy, adjusted for SES, ranged from 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30–1.35] for the Netherlands to 1.15 (95% CI, 0.61–2.18) for Vancouver, with six research groups reporting statistically significant adverse associations. We found evidence of statistically significant heterogeneity in estimated effects among locations. CONCLUSIONS: Variability in PM₁₀–LBW relationships among study locations remained despite use of a common statistical approach. A more detailed meta-analysis and use of more complex protocols for future analysis may uncover reasons for heterogeneity across locations. However, our findings confirm the potential for a diverse group of researchers to analyze their data in a standardized way to improve understanding of air pollution effects on birth outcomes.

Item Metadata

Title
The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes : initial results
Creator
Parker, Jennifer D.; Rich, David Q.; Glinianaia, Svetlana V.; Leem, Jong Han; Wartenberg, Daniel; Bell, Michelle L.; Bonzini, Matteo; Brauer, Michael (Of University of British Columbia); Darrow, Lyndsey; Gehring, Ulrike; Gouveia, Nelson; Grillo, Paolo; Ha, Eunhee; van den Hooven, Edith H.; Jalaludin, Bin; Jesdale, Bill M.; Lepeule, Johanna; Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Morgan, Geoffrey G.; Slama, Rémy; Pierik, Frank H.; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia; Sathyanarayana, Sheela; Seo, Juhee; Strickland, Matthew; Tamburic, Lillian; Woodruff, Tracey J.
Contributor
University of British Columbia. Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
Date Issued
2011-07
Description
BACKGROUND: The findings of prior studies of air pollution effects on adverse birth outcomes are difficult to synthesize because of differences in study design. OBJECTIVES: The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes was formed to understand how differences in research methods contribute to variations in findings. We initiated a feasibility study to a) assess the ability of geographically diverse research groups to analyze their data sets using a common protocol and b) perform location-specific analyses of air pollution effects on birth weight using a standardized statistical approach. METHODS: Fourteen research groups from nine countries participated. We developed a protocol to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for the association between particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀) and low birth weight (LBW) among term births, adjusted first for socioeconomic status (SES) and second for additional location-specific variables. RESULTS: Among locations with data for the PM₁₀ analysis, ORs estimating the relative risk of term LBW associated with a 10-μg/m³ increase in average PM₁₀ concentration during pregnancy, adjusted for SES, ranged from 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30–1.35] for the Netherlands to 1.15 (95% CI, 0.61–2.18) for Vancouver, with six research groups reporting statistically significant adverse associations. We found evidence of statistically significant heterogeneity in estimated effects among locations. CONCLUSIONS: Variability in PM₁₀–LBW relationships among study locations remained despite use of a common statistical approach. A more detailed meta-analysis and use of more complex protocols for future analysis may uncover reasons for heterogeneity across locations. However, our findings confirm the potential for a diverse group of researchers to analyze their data in a standardized way to improve understanding of air pollution effects on birth outcomes.
Subject
Air pollution; Birth weight; ICAPPO; Low birth weight; Particulate matter; Pregnancy
Genre
Article
Type
Text
Language
eng
Date Available
2015-10-24
Provider
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada
DOI
10.14288/1.0103476
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/2429/54888
Affiliation
Medicine, Department of; Non UBC; Medicine, Faculty of; Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of
Citation
Parker, Rich, Glinianaia, Leem, Wartenberg, Bell, . . . Woodruff. (2011). The international collaboration on air pollution and pregnancy outcomes: Initial results. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(7), 1023-1028.
Publisher DOI
10.1289/ehp.1002725
Peer Review Status
Reviewed
Scholarly Level
Faculty
Copyright Holder
Environmental Health Perspectives
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/
Aggregated Source Repository
DSpace

Item Media

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada