UCI researchers have linked industrial zone proximity to increased pediatric asthma in a predominantly low-income and Hispanic community in Southern California. Published online in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the team’s study found that school-age children in Santa Ana who live within 0.5 km (about a third of a mile) of an industrial zone were more likely to have asthma than students residing over 1 km (almost two-thirds of a mile) away. Among children with asthma, those living within 0.5 and 1 km of an industrial zone had greater odds of being overweight or obese, but proximity was not significantly associated with worse fitness or academic outcomes.
Researchers discovered that school-age children in Santa Ana who live within 0.5 km (about a third of a mile) of an industrial zone were more likely to have asthma than students residing over 1 km (almost two-thirds of a mile) away.
A cross-sectional analysis of 39,978 school district records was conducted to investigate the effects of proximity to areas zoned for industrial use on pediatric asthma prevalence, physical fitness, school attendance and standardized test scores. More than 80 percent of the students were Hispanic, with 88.2 percent qualifying for free or reduced-cost lunches.
These findings provide local environmental justice groups, school district health staff and city policymakers with important context for the intersection of city zoning policies and children’s health. Future studies may be conducted to examine the possible protective effects of green space and other recreational areas on asthma and weight.
Team members from the UCI School of Medicine were corresponding author Kim Lu, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics; John Billimek, associate professor of family medicine; and graduate student Kelton Mock. Jun Wu, professor of public health, and Anton Palma, principal biostatistician at UCI’s Institute for Clinical & Translational Science, also participated in the study.
This project was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Research Resources and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences under grant UL1 TR001414.
– Pat Harriman, UCI
