Residential greenness during pregnancy and early life and development of
asthma up to 27 years of age: The Espoo Cohort Study
Abstract
Background: Evidence on the effects of residential green spaces
on asthma is contradictory. We investigated potential association
between the amount of greenness in the residential area during pregnancy
and early life and development of asthma in the first 27 years of life.
Methods: The study population included all 2568 members of the
Espoo Cohort Study, Finland. We calculated individual-level exposure to
green space measured as cumulative Normalized Difference Vegetation
Index (cumNDVI in unit-months) within 300 m of the participant’s
residence during pregnancy and the first two years of life in both
spring and summer seasons. The onset of asthma was assessed using
information from the baseline and follow-up surveys. Results:
Exposure to residential greenness in the spring season during pregnancy
was associated with an increased risk of asthma up to 6 years of age,
with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 3.72 (95% confidence interval
(CI) 1.11-12.47) per a unit increase in cumNDVI. Increased greenness in
the summer during pregnancy associated with asthma with an aHR of 1.41
(95% CI 0.85-2.32) up to 6 years. The effect was found to be related to
increased greenness particularly during the third trimester of
pregnancy, with an aHR of 2.37 (95% CI 1.36-4.14) per unit increase of
cumNDVI. These associations were weaker at the ages of 12 and 27 years.
No association was found between NDVI in the first two years of life and
the development of asthma. Discussion: Our findings provide
evidence that exposure to greenness during pregnancy increases the risk
of developing asthma.