Journal Article

Long-term Exposure to Traffic-related Air Pollution and Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence in a Cross-sectional Screening-study in the Netherlands

Alssema, Marjan, Gehring, Ulrike, Stehouwer, Coen DA, Nijpels, Giel, Brunekreef, Bert, Mallant, Sanne F, Dekker, Jacqueline M, Fischer, Paul H, Hoek, Gerard, Dijkema, Marieke BA, van den Hurk, Katja, van Strien, Rob T

2011

Overview

Background Air pollution may promote type 2 diabetes by increasing adipose inflammation and insulin resistance. This study examined the relation between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and type 2 diabetes prevalence among 50- to 75-year-old subjects living in Westfriesland, the Netherlands. Methods Participants were recruited in a cross-sectional diabetes screening-study conducted between 1998 and 2000. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution was characterized at the participants' home-address. Indicators of exposure were land use regression modeled nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) concentration, distance to the nearest main road, traffic flow at the nearest main road and traffic in a 250 m circular buffer. Crude and age-, gender- and neighborhood income adjusted associations were examined by logistic regression. Results 8,018 participants were included, of whom 619 (8%) subjects had type 2 diabetes. Smoothed plots of exposure versus type 2 diabetes supported some association with traffic in a 250 m buffer (the highest three quartiles compared to the lowest also showed increased prevalence, though non-significant and not increasing with increasing quartile), but not with the other exposure metrics. Modeled NO 2 -concentration, distance to the nearest main road and traffic flow at the nearest main road were not associated with diabetes. Exposure-response relations seemed somewhat more pronounced for women than for men (non-significant). Conclusions We did not find consistent associations between type 2 diabetes prevalence and exposure to traffic-related air pollution, though there were some indications for a relation with traffic in a 250 m buffer.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: 50-75 yrs / Aged / Air Pollutants - analysis / Air Pollutants - toxicity / Air pollution / Confidence intervals / Cross-Sectional Studies / Development and progression / Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diagnosis / Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology / Earth and Environmental Science / Environment / Environmental Exposure - analysis / Environmental Health / Epidemiology / Female / general population / Glucose / Health aspects / Health sciences / Health services / Humans / Insulin resistance / Land use / long term / Male / Medical research / Mens health / Middle Aged / Netherlands - epidemiology / Nitrogen dioxide / Nitrogen Dioxide - analysis / Nitrogen Dioxide - toxicity / Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine / Outdoor air quality / Oxidative stress / Prevalence / Public Health / Questionnaires / Regression analysis / Residence Characteristics / Risk assessment / Risk factors / Roads / Roads & highways / Rural Population / Sensitivity and Specificity / Socioeconomic Factors / the Netherlands / Towns / Traffic flow / traffic related air pollution / Type 2 diabetes / Vehicle Emissions - analysis / Vehicle Emissions - toxicity