Outdoor air concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide and prevalence of wheezing in school children

We report analysis of data on outdoor air pollution and respiratory symptom s in children corrected in the Czech part of the international Small Area V ariations in Air pollution and Health (SAVIAH) Project, a methodological st udy designed to test the use of geographical information systems (GIS) in s tudies of environmental exposures and health at small area level. We collec ted the following data in two districts of Prague: (1) individual data on 3 ,680 children (response rate 88%) by questionnaires; (2) census-based socio demographic data for small geographical units; (3) concentrations of nitro gen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) measured by passive samplers in three 2 week surveys at 80 and 50 locations, respectively. We integrated al l data into a geographical information system. Modeling of NO2 and SO2 allo wed estimation of exposure to outdoor NO2 and SO2 at school and at home for each child. We examined the associations between air pollution and prevale nce of wheezing or whistling in the chest in the last 12 months by logistic regression at individual level, weighted least squares regression at small area (ecological) level and multilevel modeling. The results varied by the lever of analysis and method of exposure estimation. In multilevel analyse s using individual data, odds ratios per 10 mu g/m(3) increase in concentra tions were 1.16 (95% CI = 0.95-1.42) for NO2, and 1.08 (95% CI = 0.91-1.21) for SO2. While mapping of spatial distribution of NO2 and SO2 in the study area appeared valid, the interpolation from outdoor to personal exposures requires consideration.