Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2022 Mar;240:113885. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113885. Epub 2021 Nov 27.
A significant number of children attend Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). ECEC is an important environment and behaviour setting for young children. Time spent outdoors is positively associated with children's physical activity levels, yet increased time spent physically active outdoors may expose young children to traffic-related air pollution, particularly in ECEC centres located in high traffic areas.
This study was part of the Play Spaces and Environments for Children's Physical Activity (PLAYCE) study, Perth, Western Australia. Data from 22 ECEC centres and 478 children were collected. Continuous measures of indoor and outdoor fine particulate matter (PM) were conducted for 48-72 h in each ECEC. Children wore ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometers to measure their physical activity at ECEC. The total length of high traffic roads within a 300m road network service area buffer around each ECEC was used to identify high and low traffic centres.
Outdoor PM concentrations peaked in the afternoon (1pm, 2pm and 6pm) at ECEC centres. Outdoor and indoor PM concentrations were significantly higher for centres located in high compared with low traffic areas (both p < 0.05). There was no significant association between a centre being located in a high or low traffic area and the time preschoolers spent outdoors or their physical activity levels.
Time periods when air pollution concentrations in ECECs are highest correspond with times when preschoolers are likely to be physically active outdoors. Children's potential exposure to traffic-related air pollutants is occurring during a period of rapid lung development. Given there is no evidence of a safe level of exposure to PM or a threshold below which no adverse health effects occur, careful planning should be a consideration to avoid locating ECEC centres in high traffic areas.
相当数量的儿童接受幼儿教育和保育（ECEC）。ECEC 是幼儿重要的环境和行为场所。户外活动时间与儿童的身体活动水平呈正相关，但在户外活动时间增加的情况下，幼儿可能会接触到与交通相关的空气污染，尤其是在位于交通繁忙地区的 ECEC 中心。
本研究是西澳大利亚珀斯儿童身体活动的游戏空间和环境（PLAYCE）研究的一部分。共收集了 22 个 ECEC 中心和 478 名儿童的数据。在每个 ECEC 中心进行了 48-72 小时的室内和室外细颗粒物（PM）连续测量。儿童佩戴 ActiGraph GT3X+ 加速度计在 ECEC 中心测量其身体活动。每个 ECEC 周围 300 米道路网络服务区缓冲区的高交通道路总长度用于识别高交通和低交通中心。
ECEC 中心的室外 PM 浓度在下午（1 点、2 点和 6 点）达到峰值。位于高交通区的 ECEC 中心的室外和室内 PM 浓度明显高于低交通区（均 p<0.05）。位于高交通或低交通区的中心与学龄前儿童户外活动时间或身体活动水平之间没有显著关联。
ECEC 中空气污染浓度最高的时间段与学龄前儿童可能在户外活动的时间相对应。儿童接触与交通相关的空气污染物的潜在风险发生在肺部快速发育时期。鉴于没有证据表明 PM 的暴露安全水平或不存在不良健康影响的阈值，因此在规划 ECEC 中心位置时，应谨慎考虑避免将其建在交通繁忙的区域。
