Effects of Traffic Exhausts on Children's Behavioral Problems Parasat / 环境与健康杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the health effect of traffic exhausts on children's behavioral problems by using the Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist.Methods Three primary schools were chosen based on the counts of passed by automobiles and the monitoring data of ambient air pollutants.Air pollutants including NO_x,SO_2,PM 2.5 and CO were analzed around the schools.There were 1 821 students in total from Grade 2 to Grade 5 were chosen as the target population and were investigated with the self-designed questionnaire as well as Achenbach's Child List.Finally,1 363 cases were analyzed,of whom have been local resident for more than 2 years and were in condition during investigation.Results A total of 141 children,with the rate of 10.34%,were reported to be with behavioral problem.The reported rates of behavioral problem were 9.04% in School A1, 9.77% in School A2,and 11.99% in School A3 respectively,however,there was no significant difference was seen(x~2=2.556,P= 0.279).The reported rate of behavioral problem of boys' was higher than that of girls' in all schools.Analysis of 11 behavioral problem factors showed that,highest rates of factor depression,social withdrawn,hyperactivity,sexual problem,cruelty,forcing were found in School A3.Single-factor analysis showed that fever experience,eye sight condition,drinking experience of children, experience of being beaten and scold,second hand smoking,drinking habit of father,occupation of parents,education level of parents,born of full-term,medical history in neonatal period,history of unhealthy pregnancy of mother,history of touching adverse factors and drinking experience of mother during pregnancy had significant influence on the reported rate of behavioral problem. Conclusion Traditional factors are still the main influencing factors of children's behavioral problems,long term-low level exposure to traffic exhausts has weak effect on children's behavioral problems.