Abstract
Long-term exposure to air pollution is generally accepted to be a health hazard. Additionally, exposure to noise facilitates diseases, which are caused by stress as a co-factor. Although traffic-related air pollution and noise are highly correlated, the combined health effects of these factors have not yet been studied. All 5–12-year-old children who visited two participating pediatric offices in the region of Osterode, near Harz Mountains, were registered (n = 401). Their annual rates of physician contacts during the last five years were evaluated retrospectively and their exposure to traffic-related air pollution and nighttime noise was objectively assessed. The association between exposure and physician contacts because of respiratory diseases was assessed by logistic regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounders. Of the total group, 371 children had contact with their physician for at least one year. Their total contacts because of asthma and bronchitis amounted to 612 and 2976, respectively. Compared to children with no or minimal exposure to traffic emissions, children with medium and high exposure had dose-dependent increases in asthma (OR 1.41 [95%, CI 0. 83−2.37] and 4.22 [95% CI 2.79−8.16], respectively) and frequent bronchitis (OR 1.95 [95% CI 1.11−3.42] and 13.8 [95% CI 7.19−26.4], respectively). Long-term exposure of children to the combination of traffic noise and air pollution may result in more adverse health effects than exposure to air pollution alone.