Development of over 30-years of high spatiotemporal resolution air pollution models and surfaces for California.

California's diverse geography and meteorological conditions necessitate models capturing fine-grained patterns of air pollution distribution. This study presents the development of high-resolution (100 m) daily land use regression (LUR) models spanning 1989-2021 for nitrogen dioxide (NO), fine particulate matter (PM), and ozone (O) across California. These machine learning LUR algorithms integrated comprehensive data sources, including traffic, land use, land cover, meteorological conditions, vegetation dynamics, and satellite data.

Impacts from air pollution on respiratory disease outcomes: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Air pollution is widely acknowledged as a significant factor in respiratory outcomes, including coughing, wheezing, emergency department (ED) visits, and even death. Although several literature reviews have confirmed the association between air pollution and respiratory outcomes, they often did not standardize associations across different studies and overlooked other increasingly impactful pollutants such as trace metals. Recognizing the importance of consistent comparison and emissions of non-exhaust particles from road traffic, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate the standardized effects of various criteria pollutants and trace metals on respiratory health.

Health effects of air pollution on respiratory symptoms: A longitudinal study using digital health sensors.

Previous studies of air pollution and respiratory disease often relied on aggregated or lagged acute respiratory disease outcome measures, such as emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations, which may lack temporal and spatial resolution. This study investigated the association between daily air pollution exposure and respiratory symptoms among participants with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), using a unique dataset passively collected by digital sensors monitoring inhaled medication use. The aggregated dataset comprised 456,779 short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) puffs across 3,386 people with asthma or COPD, between 2012 and 2019, across the state of California.

Global Burden of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Through 2050.

Importance: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory condition that is associated with significant health and economic burden worldwide. Previous studies assessed the global current-day prevalence of COPD, but to better facilitate resource planning and intervention development, long-term projections are needed.

Objective: To assess the global burden of COPD through 2050, considering COPD risk factors.

Reductions in NO and emergency room visits associated with California's goods movement policies: A quasi-experimental study.

Introduction: This study examines whether the "Emission Reduction Plan for Ports and Goods Movement" in California reduced air pollution exposures and emergency room visits among California Medicaid enrollees with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Method: We created a retrospective cohort of 5608 Medicaid enrollees from ten counties in California with data from 2004 to 2010. We grouped the patients into two groups: those living within 500 m of goods movement corridors (ports and truck-permitted freeways), and control areas (away from the busy truck or car permitted highways).

Identifying impacts of air pollution on subacute asthma symptoms using digital medication sensors.

Background: Objective tracking of asthma medication use and exposure in real-time and space has not been feasible previously. Exposure assessments have typically been tied to residential locations, which ignore exposure within patterns of daily activities.

Methods: We investigated the associations of exposure to multiple air pollutants, derived from nearest air quality monitors, with space-time asthma rescue inhaler use captured by digital sensors, in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

Predicting differential improvements in annual pollutant concentrations and exposures for regulatory policy assessment.

Over the past decade, researchers and policy-makers have become increasingly interested in regulatory and policy interventions to reduce air pollution concentrations and improve human health. Studies have typically relied on relatively sparse environmental monitoring data that lack the spatial resolution to assess small-area improvements in air quality and health. Few studies have integrated multiple types of measures of an air pollutant into one single modeling framework that combines spatially- and temporally-rich monitoring data.

Improved asthma outcomes observed in the vicinity of coal power plant retirement, retrofit, and conversion to natural gas.

Coal-fired power plants release substantial air pollution, including over 60% of U.S. sulfur dioxide (SO) emissions in 2014.

Geospatial-temporal analysis of the impact of ozone on asthma rescue inhaler use.

Rationale: Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases in the United States. Several outdoor air pollutants have been associated with asthma morbidity. Previous studies of the effects of short-term air pollution exposure have been limited by potential exposure misclassification and limited spatial and temporal resolution of asthma outcome measures.

Associations of green space metrics with health and behavior outcomes at different buffer sizes and remote sensing sensor resolutions.

Satellite data is increasingly used to characterize green space for health outcome studies. Literature suggests that green space within 500 m of home is often used to represent neighborhood suitable for walking, air pollution and noise reduction, and natural healing. In this paper, we used satellite data of different spatial resolutions to derive normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), an indicator of surface greenness, at buffer distances of 50, 100, 250 and 500 m.

Born to be Wise: a population registry data linkage protocol to assess the impact of modifiable early-life environmental exposures on the health and development of children.

Introduction: Deficiencies in childhood development is a major global issue and inequalities are large. The influence of environmental exposures on childhood development is currently insufficiently explored. This project will analyse the impact of various modifiable early life environmental exposures on different dimensions of childhood development.

Short-term impact of PM on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.

Asthma ranks among the most costly of chronic diseases, accounting for over $50 billion annually in direct medical expenditures in the United States. At the same time, evidence has accumulated that fine particulate matter pollution can exacerbate asthma symptoms and generate substantial economic costs. To measure these costs, we use a unique nationwide panel dataset tracking asthmatic individuals' use of rescue medication and their exposure to PM (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.

Digital Health Intervention for Asthma: Patient-Reported Value and Usability.

Background: Although digital health tools are increasingly recognized as effective in improving clinical outcomes such as asthma control and medication adherence, few studies have assessed patient experiences and perception of value.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction, perception of usability and value, and desire to continue after 12 months of using a digital health intervention to support asthma management.

Methods: Participants were enrolled in a randomized controlled study evaluating the impact of a digital health platform for asthma management.

AIR Louisville: Addressing Asthma With Technology, Crowdsourcing, Cross-Sector Collaboration, And Policy.

Cross-sector partnerships benefit public health by leveraging ideas, resources, and expertise from a wide range of partners. In this study we documented the process and impact of AIR Louisville (a collaboration forged among the Louisville Metro Government, a nonprofit institute, and a technology company) in successfully tackling a complex public health challenge: asthma. We enrolled residents of Louisville, Kentucky, with asthma and used electronic inhaler sensors to monitor where and when they used medication.

Chronic exposure to inhaled, traffic-related nitrogen dioxide and a blunted cortisol response in adolescents.

Background: Chronic health effects of traffic-related air pollution, like nitrogen dioxide (NO), are well-documented. Animal models suggested that NO exposures dysregulate cortisol function.

Objectives: We evaluated the association between traffic-related NO exposure and adolescent human cortisol concentrations, utilizing measures of the cortisol diurnal slope.

Multi-pollutant Modeling Through Examination of Susceptible Subpopulations Using Profile Regression.

Purpose Of Review: The inter-correlated nature of exposure-based risk factors in environmental health studies makes it a challenge to determine their combined effect on health outcomes. As such, there has been much research of late regarding the development and utilization of methods in the field of multi-pollutant modeling. However, much of this work has focused on issues related to variable selection in a regression context, with the goal of identifying which exposures are the "bad actors" most responsible for affecting the health outcome of interest.

Association of residential greenness with obesity and physical activity in a US cohort of women.

There is evidence of several health benefits associated with neighborhood greenness, but reasons for this are unclear. Studies have found that those who live in greener neighborhoods are more physically active, and have lower rates of obesity. Relatively few studies have attempted to characterize associations between greenness and both obesity and physical activity concurrently, or among women who are at higher risk of developing cancer and for whom physical activity may be important for primary prevention.

Safe Routes to Play? Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crashes Near Parks in Los Angeles.

Background: Areas near parks may present active travelers with higher risks than in other areas due to the confluence of more pedestrians and bicyclists, younger travelers, and the potential for increased traffic volumes. These risks may be amplified in low-income and minority neighborhoods due to generally higher rates of active travel or lack of safety infrastructure. This paper examines active travel crashes near parks and builds on existing research around disparities in park access and extends research from the Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Transit movements to parks.

Identification of Effects of Regulatory Actions on Air Quality in Goods Movement Corridors in California.

Few studies have assessed the impact of regulatory actions on air quality improvement through a comprehensive monitoring effort. In this study, we designed saturation sampling of nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the counties of Los Angeles and Alameda (San Francisco Bay) before (2003-2007) and after (2008-2013) implementation of goods movement actions in California. We further separated the research regions into three location categories, including goods movement corridors (GMCs), nongoods movement corridors (NGMCs), and control areas (CTRLs).

Feasibility of Deploying Inhaler Sensors to Identify the Impacts of Environmental Triggers and Built Environment Factors on Asthma Short-Acting Bronchodilator Use.

Background: Epidemiological asthma research has relied upon self-reported symptoms or healthcare utilization data, and used the residential address as the primary location for exposure. These data sources can be temporally limited, spatially aggregated, subjective, and burdensome for the patient to collect.

Objectives: First, we aimed to test the feasibility of collecting rescue inhaler use data in space-time using electronic sensors.

An online tool for obesity intervention and public health.

Background: Though the United States of America (U.S.A.

Populations potentially exposed to traffic-related air pollution in seven world cities.

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) likely exerts a large burden of disease globally, and in many places, traffic is increasing dramatically. The impact, however, of urban form on the portion of population potentially exposed to TRAP remains poorly understood. In this study, we estimate portions of population potentially exposed to TRAP across seven global cities of various urban forms.

Integrating smart-phone based momentary location tracking with fixed site air quality monitoring for personal exposure assessment.

Epidemiological studies investigating relationships between environmental exposures from air pollution and health typically use residential addresses as a single point for exposure, while environmental exposures in transit, at work, school or other locations are largely ignored. Personal exposure monitors measure individuals' exposures over time; however, current personal monitors are intrusive and cannot be operated at a large scale over an extended period of time (e.g.

Factors influencing whether children walk to school.

Few studies have simultaneously evaluated multiple levels of influence on whether children walk to school. A large cohort of 4338 subjects from 10 communities was used to identify the determinants of walking through (1) a one-level logistic regression model for individual-level variables and (2) a two-level mixed regression model for individual and school-level variables. Walking rates were positively associated with home-to-school proximity, greater age, and living in neighborhoods characterized by lower traffic density.