When the attack comes before the asthma: violence increases risk from pollution.Chronic physical or emotional stress is known to impair the immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. , a link that may explain some of the health disparities
Health disparities (also called health inequalities in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. found among different socioeconomic groups. Researchers have also found that living in poor, urban communities or near highways is linked to a greater risk of developing childhood asthma and other breathing problems. A new study now reveals that psychosocial stressors may increase children's vulnerability to the effects of traffic-related air pollution [EHP EHP abbr. 1. effective horsepower 2. electric horsepower 115:1140-1146; Clougherty et al.]. The researchers examined data from the Maternal-Infant Smoking Study of East Boston, which began in 1987 to establish a cohort of pregnant women. In 1997, parents or guardians of 417 children of the cohort, then aged 4 to 11.5, answered questions about the children's exposure to violence. Respondents were asked about the frequency with which the children had ever seen hitting, a shooting, or a stabbing, or heard domestic verbal abuse verbal abuse Psychology A form of emotional abuse consisting of the use of abusive and demeaning language with a spouse, child, or elder, often by a caregiver or other person in a position of power. See Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Spousal abuse. or gunshots. Other studies have suggested that residual trauma from witnessing episodic episodic sporadic; occurring in episodes. e. falling a paroxymal disorder described in Cavalier King Charles spaniels in which affected dogs, starting at an early age, experience episodes of extensor rigidity, possibly brought on by stress. e. violence is a source of chronic stress for urban residents. About 45% of the children had witnessed at least one violent act, and almost 20% had witnessed at least two. Responses were generalized to account for variables that can affect the severity of such acts, including whether the child knew the victim or perpetrator A term commonly used by law enforcement officers to designate a person who actually commits a crime. . The researchers then acquired data collected between 1987 and 2004 on Boston levels of nitrogen dioxide nitrogen dioxide n. A poisonous brown gas, NO2, often found in smog and automobile exhaust fumes and synthesized for use as a nitrating agent, a catalyst, and an oxidizing agent. Noun 1. ([NO.sub.2]), a constituent of vehicular exhaust with a known link to asthma. They used computerized mapping tools to estimate [NO.sub.2] exposure at the children's residences in East Boston, a working-class urban neighborhood with highways running through it. About 25% of the children in the study had asthma. However, residential exposure to [NO.sub.2] was linked to asthma only among children who were above the median for exposure to violence. The association between asthma and [NO.sub.2] exposure disappeared when the researchers looked at the group as a whole. The authors conclude that their findings "indicate ancillary effects of violence on children in addition to direct injury and post-traumatic stress." Larger studies are needed to investigate other possible interactions among risk factors for asthma. It is also important to study the effects of other pollutants pollutants see environmental pollution. , including indoor air pollution. The authors observe that accurate reports about violence are difficult to obtain, and that violence exposures may be a sign of other problems with family stability that affect stress levels and health. |
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