Examination of factors influencing the heterogeneity in response of heart rate variability to exposure to traffic related air pollution in the Atlanta Commuter's Exposure Study Público

Abstract

The Atlanta Commuter's Exposure (ACE) Study was established to examine the particulate and gas phase pollutants that commuters are exposed to, as well as the associated health endpoints. In this paper the association between heart rate variability (HRV) and exposure to traffic related air pollution is examined, including an examination of interaction by several different covariates of interest. The ACE study is a panel study of 42 non-smoking study participants, 21 clinically diagnosed asthmatics and 21 non-asthmatics. Heart rate variability was measured before, immediately after, 1, 2 and 3 hours after a 2 hour scripted commute on a highway around Atlanta during the morning rush hour. Measurements of HRV were altered in the time point immediately after the commute, including a statistically significant decrease in SDNN and r-MSSD and a significant increase in LF/HF. A priori covariates of interest, based on a review of the literature on heart rate variability and traffic related air pollution, were examined, including age, sex, baseline FEV1, BMI, day of the week of the commute, season of the commute, noise level, and change in cortisol from baseline. The primary explanatory variable for the heterogeneity of response is asthma status. Participants with asthma had a larger response to the commute exposure in each endpoint. The results also suggest modification by sex, age, baseline FEV1, BMI, day of the week, noise and cortisol change. Even with modification by each of these factors, however, the general trends in the data persist, a sharp change in HRV immediately after the commute that goes back towards the baseline measurement at each subsequent time point.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Methods 4

Results 9

Discussion 16

Conclusion 22

References 24

Tables 27

Figures 31

Appendix

About this Master's Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Environmental Health
Degree	MSPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health Health Sciences, Epidemiology
Palavra-chave	traffic related air pollution heart rate variability
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Sarnat, Jeremy, Emory University
Committee Members	Tolbert, Paige, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Emory University schools, faculty or affiliated programs CDC

Última modificação

Primary PDF

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions
	Examination of factors influencing the heterogeneity in response of heart rate variability to exposure to traffic related air pollution in the Atlanta Commuter's Exposure Study ()	2018-08-28 12:02:26 -0400	Press to Select an action Download

Supplemental Files

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Actions