| Title: | Geographic and social economic disparities in the risk of exposure to ambient air respiratory toxicants at Oklahoma licensed early care and education facilities |
| Author(s): | Querdibitty CD; Campbell J; Wetherill MS; Salvatore AL; |
| Address: | "Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma Area Tribal Epidemiology Center, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. Electronic address: cquerdibitty@spthb.org. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Institute for Research on Equity and Community Health (iREACH), Christiana Care, Wilmington, DE, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA. Electronic address: alicia.salvatore@christianacare.org" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114975 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1096-0953 (Electronic) 0013-9351 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "BACKGROUND: Early life exposures to hazardous air pollutants has been associated with adverse asthma-related outcomes. Neighborhood-level social and economic factors play an essential role in the distribution of hazardous air pollutants and children spend a substantial amount of time at early care and education (ECE) facilities. While the indoor air quality of these facilities has been described, particularly for criteria air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, little is known about the ambient air quality of ECE facilities. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the ambient air quality of Oklahoma licensed ECE facilities and to explore associations between ambient air quality and select geographic predictors. METHODS: We estimated ambient air quality using the total respiratory hazard quotient from the National Air Toxics Assessment according to the geographical location of licensed Oklahoma ECE facilities (N = 3184). We then determined whether urban and rural ECE facilities' air respiratory toxicant exposure risk differed by ECE facilities' neighborhood-level social and economic inequities including: 1) racial-ethnic minority community, 2) neighborhood socioeconomic status, and 3) residential segregation. RESULTS: Urban ECE facilities in Hispanic segregated counties were five times more likely to be at risk of high air respiratory exposure, adjusted for integrated urban counties (p < 0.0001, 95% CI [3.824, 7.699]). Rural ECE facilities in African American segregated counties were nine times more likely to be at risk of high air respiratory toxicant exposure, adjusted for integrated rural counties (p < 0.0001, 95% CI [5.641, 15.928]). CONCLUSION: We found geographically and socially disparate patterns of higher exposures to ambient air respiratory toxicants at Oklahoma ECE facilities. Safer siting policies and interventions are needed to mitigate air respiratory toxicant exposures, which may help to reduce asthma control disparities and improve respiratory health outcomes in Oklahoma ECE facilities" |
| Keywords: | Child Humans Environmental Exposure/analysis Oklahoma/epidemiology Ethnicity Cross-Sectional Studies Minority Groups *Air Pollution/analysis *Air Pollutants/toxicity/analysis *Asthma/chemically induced Hazardous Substances Air pollution Child care Environ; |
| Notes: | "MedlineQuerdibitty, Cassandra D Campbell, Janis Wetherill, Marianna S Salvatore, Alicia L eng Netherlands 2022/12/04 Environ Res. 2023 Feb 1; 218:114975. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114975. Epub 2022 Dec 1" |
