Short-term effect of air pollution on attention function in adolescents (ATENC!Ó) : A randomized controlled trial in high schools in Barcelona, Spain
Gignac, Florence (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal))
Barrera-Gómez, José (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal))
Persavento, Cecilia (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal))
Solé Martín, Caterina (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Centre de Recerca per a l'Educació Científica i Matemàtica)
Tena Gallego, Èlia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Centre de Recerca per a l'Educació Científica i Matemàtica)
López-Vicente, Mónica (Erasmus MC University Medical Center)
Foraster, Maria (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal))
Amato, Fulvio (Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua)
Alastuey, Andrés (Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua)
Querol Carceller, Xavier (Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua)
Llavador, Humberto (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Apesteguia, Jose (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Julvez, Jordi (Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili)
Couso, Digna (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Centre de Recerca per a l'Educació Científica i Matemàtica)
Sunyer Deu, Jordi (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal))
Basagaña, X (Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal))

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Background: The recent evidence of the short-term impact of air pollution on youth cognitive functions is based primarily on observational studies. Objectives: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess whether purifying the air of the classrooms produced short-term changes in attention processes of adolescents. Methods: We recruited a total of 2,123 adolescents (13-16 years old) in 33 high schools in Barcelona metropolitan area (Spain). In each school, adolescents from each class were randomly split into two equal-sized groups and assigned to two different classrooms. A set of two air cleaner devices with the same appearance (one recirculating and filtrating the air and the other only recirculating the air) was used. Each one of the devices was placed at random at one of the two classrooms. Students were masked to intervention allocation and had to complete several computerized activities for 1. 5 h, including an attention test (Flanker task) to be performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. The response speed consistency, expressed as hit reaction time standard error (HRT-SE, in ms), was measured as the primary outcome. Analyses were conducted using conditional linear regressions with classroom as strata, adjusted for variables that may differ from one class to another such as temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide concentration. Results: Average levels of PM2. 5 and black carbon throughout the 1. 5 h of experiment were 89% and 87%, respectively, lower in the classrooms with air cleaner than in the control classrooms. No differences were found in the median of HRT-SE between classrooms with cleaned air and normal air (percent change: 1. 37%, 95% confidence interval: -2. 81%, 5. 56%). Sensitivity analyses with secondary attention outcomes resulted in similar findings. Conclusions: Cleaning the air of a classroom to reduce exposure to air pollutants for 1. 5 h did not have an impact on the attention function of adolescents. Still, in light of previous evidence suggesting an association between air pollution and attention, further experimental studies should explore other short-term timescales of exposure and age ranges.
Grants:	"la Caixa" Foundation 100010434 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades CEX2018-000806-S Instituto de Salud Carlos III CPII19/00015 Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI16/00261
Note:	Altres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Adolescents ; Air pollution ; Attention ; High school ; Randomized controlled trial ; SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Published in:	Environment International, Vol. 156 (November 2021) , art. 106614, ISSN 1873-6750

DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106614
PMID: 34000503

10 p, 1.3 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > The Research Centre for Science and Mathematics Education (CRECIM)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles