See the published version of this article at Environmental Health.
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Veerle Josefa Verheyen
Universiteit Antwerpen
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5262-5665
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This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at Environmental Health.
Background: Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. A biological stress response, which implies release of cortisol, may underlie associations of air pollution exposure and access to neighborhood greenspaces with health.
Methods: We explored residential exposure to air pollution and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces in relation to hair cortisol concentrations of participants in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Flanders, Belgium. Hair samples were collected at the end of the second pregnancy trimester (n = 133) and shortly after delivery (n = 81). Cortisol concentrations were measured in 3-cm scalp-near hair sections, to reflect second and third pregnancy trimester cortisol secretion. We estimated long-term (3 months before sampling) residential exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC), assessed residential distance to major roads and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces (NHGS). Associations between residential exposures and hair cortisol concentrations were studied using linear regression models while adjusting for season of sampling.
Results: Three-month mean residential NO2 and BC concentrations were positively associated with third pregnancy trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017). Access to a large NHGS (10 hectares or more within 800 meters from residence) was negatively associated with third trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.019). Access to a large NHGS significantly moderated the association between residential proximity to major roads and second trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.021). Residential distance to major roads was negatively associated with second trimester hair cortisol concentrations of participants without access to a large NHGS (p = 0.003). The association was not significant for participants with access to a large NHGS. The moderation tended towards significance in the third pregnancy trimester (p < 0.10).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest a positive association between long-term residential exposure to air pollution and biological stress during pregnancy, residential access to neighborhood greenspaces may moderate the association. Further research is needed to confirm our results.
Trial registration: The IPANEMA study is registered under number NCT02592005 at clinicaltrials.gov.
Keywords
air pollution, proximity to major roads, neighborhood greenspace, pregnancy, longer-term biological stress, hair cortisol concentrations
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
Version 3
Posted 25 Jan, 2021
Published
On 11 Feb, 2021
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept with minor revisions
On 21 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 19 Jan, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 19 Jan, 2021
Editor invited
On 19 Jan, 2021
No comments provided
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 07 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 20 Dec, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 20 Dec, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 20 Dec, 2020
Editor invited
On 20 Dec, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 15 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 12 Oct, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 16 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 08 Jun, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 05 Jun, 2020
Editor assigned
On 04 Jun, 2020
First submitted
On 03 Jun, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 03 Jun, 2020
Editor invited
On 03 Jun, 2020
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This preprint is under consideration at Environmental Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research
Veerle Josefa Verheyen
Universiteit Antwerpen
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5262-5665
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
Version 3
Posted 25 Jan, 2021
Published
On 11 Feb, 2021
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept with minor revisions
On 21 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 19 Jan, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 19 Jan, 2021
Editor invited
On 19 Jan, 2021
No comments provided
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 07 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 20 Dec, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 20 Dec, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 20 Dec, 2020
Editor invited
On 20 Dec, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 15 Nov, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 12 Oct, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 16 Jun, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 08 Jun, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 05 Jun, 2020
Editor assigned
On 04 Jun, 2020
First submitted
On 03 Jun, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 03 Jun, 2020
Editor invited
On 03 Jun, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at Environmental Health.
Background: Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. A biological stress response, which implies release of cortisol, may underlie associations of air pollution exposure and access to neighborhood greenspaces with health.
Methods: We explored residential exposure to air pollution and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces in relation to hair cortisol concentrations of participants in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Flanders, Belgium. Hair samples were collected at the end of the second pregnancy trimester (n = 133) and shortly after delivery (n = 81). Cortisol concentrations were measured in 3-cm scalp-near hair sections, to reflect second and third pregnancy trimester cortisol secretion. We estimated long-term (3 months before sampling) residential exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC), assessed residential distance to major roads and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces (NHGS). Associations between residential exposures and hair cortisol concentrations were studied using linear regression models while adjusting for season of sampling.
Results: Three-month mean residential NO2 and BC concentrations were positively associated with third pregnancy trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017). Access to a large NHGS (10 hectares or more within 800 meters from residence) was negatively associated with third trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.019). Access to a large NHGS significantly moderated the association between residential proximity to major roads and second trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.021). Residential distance to major roads was negatively associated with second trimester hair cortisol concentrations of participants without access to a large NHGS (p = 0.003). The association was not significant for participants with access to a large NHGS. The moderation tended towards significance in the third pregnancy trimester (p < 0.10).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest a positive association between long-term residential exposure to air pollution and biological stress during pregnancy, residential access to neighborhood greenspaces may moderate the association. Further research is needed to confirm our results.
Trial registration: The IPANEMA study is registered under number NCT02592005 at clinicaltrials.gov.
Figure 1
Figure 2
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