Associations between green space and preterm birth: Windows of susceptibility and interaction with air pollution

Yi Sun; Paige Sheridan; Olivier Laurent; Jia Li; David A Sacks; Heidi Fischer; Yang Qiu; Yu Jiang; Ilona S Yim; Luo-Hua Jiang; John Molitor; Jiu-Chiuan Chen; Tarik Benmarhnia; Jean M Lawrence; Jun Wu

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.105804

Associations between green space and preterm birth: Windows of susceptibility and interaction with air pollution

Environ Int. 2020 Sep:142:105804. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105804. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Authors

Yi Sun¹, Paige Sheridan², Olivier Laurent³, Jia Li³, David A Sacks⁴, Heidi Fischer⁴, Yang Qiu⁵, Yu Jiang⁶, Ilona S Yim⁷, Luo-Hua Jiang⁸, John Molitor⁹, Jiu-Chiuan Chen¹⁰, Tarik Benmarhnia², Jean M Lawrence⁴, Jun Wu¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Program in Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3957, USA.
² Department of Family Medicine and Public Health & Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0725, CA La Jolla 92093, USA.
³ Program in Public Health, 653 East Peltason Drive, University of California, Irvine CA 92697-3957, USA.
⁴ Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, #24 First Ring Road South Section One, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
⁶ School of Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
⁷ Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-7085, USA.
⁸ Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
⁹ College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
¹¹ Program in Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3957, USA; Program in Public Health, 653 East Peltason Drive, University of California, Irvine CA 92697-3957, USA. Electronic address: junwu@uci.edu.

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have reported inconsistent associations between maternal residential green space and preterm birth (PTB, born < 37 completed gestational weeks). In addition, windows of susceptibility during pregnancy have not been explored and potential interactions of green space with air pollution exposures during pregnancy are still unclear.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationships between green space and PTB, identify windows of susceptibility, and explore potential interactions between green space and air pollution.

Methods: Birth certificate records for all births in California (2001-2008) were obtained. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to characterized green space exposure. Gestational age was treated as a time-to-event outcome; Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate the association between green space exposure and PTB, moderately PTB (MPTB, gestational age < 35 weeks), and very PTB (VPTB, gestational age < 30 weeks), after controlling for maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, and median household income. Month-specific green space exposure was used to identify potential windows of susceptibility. Potential interactions between green space and air pollution [fine particulate matter < 2.5 µm (PM_2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃)] were examined on both additive and multiplicative scales.

Results: In total, 3,753,799 eligible births were identified, including 341,123 (9.09%) PTBs, 124,631 (3.32%) MPTBs, and 22,313 (0.59%) VPTBs. A reduced risk of PTB was associated with increases in residential NDVI exposure in 250 m, 500 m, 1000 m, and 2000 m buffers. In the 2000 m buffer, the association was strongest for VPTB [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) per interquartile range increase in NDVI: 0.959, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.942-0.976)], followed by MPTB (HR = 0.970, 95% CI: 0.962-0.978) and overall PTB (HR = 0.972, 95% CI: 0.966-0.978). For PTB, green space during the 3rd - 5th gestational months had stronger associations than those in the other time periods, especially during the 4th gestational month (NDVI 2000 m: HR = 0.970, 95% CI: 0.965-0.975). We identified consistent positive additive and multiplicative interactions between decreasing green space and higher air pollution.

Conclusion: This large study found that maternal exposure to residential green space was associated with decreased risk of PTB, MPTB, and VPTB, especially in the second trimester. There is a synergistic effect between low green space and high air pollution levels on PTB, indicating that increasing exposure to green space may be more beneficial for women with higher air pollution exposures during pregnancy.

Keywords: Air pollution; Exposure time window; Green space; Interaction; Preterm birth.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollutants* / toxicity
Air Pollution* / adverse effects
Air Pollution* / analysis
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Maternal Exposure / adverse effects
Parks, Recreational
Particulate Matter / analysis
Pregnancy
Premature Birth* / epidemiology

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding