New four year study to evaluate asthma triggers in children

A newly announced study by researchers at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School will examine how elevated levels of exposure to air pollutants, coupled with chronic psychological stress, may contribute to higher rates of asthma in urban communities. The study, supported by a $1.2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, will focus on children in the Ironbound section of Newark, NJ, one of the most asthma-prevalent areas in the state. Residents of Newark have disproportionately high rates of hospitalizations and emergency room visits as a result of asthma attacks according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

During the next four years, the research team will evaluate 40 Ironbound children between the ages of 9 and 14 who have mild to moderate persistent asthma. Led by Robert Laumbach, MD, MPH, assistant professor of environmental and occupational medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the researchers will evaluate numerous asthma triggers in children - exposure to multiple air pollutants caused by the area's severe traffic congestion and the effect of chronic stress that results from socioeconomic circumstances.

Under typical conditions, the body naturally responds to an asthma attack in an attempt to reduce its severity. However, the investigators believe that elevated chronic stress conditions within urban communities, such as poverty or violence, inhibit the body's ability to cope, thereby creating a more severe asthma attack for children in these areas. According to Dr. Laumbach, the combined effects of air pollution and stress may be one reason why asthma hospitalization is four times greater in children who live in some urban communities.

The Ironbound section of Newark is bordered by the New Jersey Turnpike, state Routes 1&9, Interstate 78, Newark Liberty International Airport, and the Ports of Newark and Elizabeth. The high density of diesel trucks, ships, port equipment, airplanes, and cars in this area causes higher concentrations of soot and other air pollutants in the air.

The researchers will measure a child's individual exposure to air pollutants for 24-hours-a-day for four weeks using digital devices clipped to his or her clothing. By comparing air pollution exposure to periodic daily measurements of breathing capacity, the researchers will assess the impact of air pollution on asthma. The researchers also will evaluate the effect of stress conditions within the children's lives through interviews with participant families and measurement of stress hormones, in order to determine whether or not those children with higher stress levels have more severe responses to air pollution.

The team includes six investigators from the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, a joint institute of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and members of the Ironbound Community Corporation, the neighborhood's leading social services agency, which will participate in conducting the study.