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Residential greenness during pregnancy and early life and development of asthma up to 27 years of age: The Espoo Cohort Study
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  • Aino K. Rantala,
  • Inês Paciência,
  • Harri Antikainen,
  • Jan Hjort,
  • Timo Hugg,
  • Maritta Jaakkola,
  • Jouni Jaakkola
Aino K. Rantala
Oulun yliopisto

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Inês Paciência
Oulun yliopisto
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Harri Antikainen
Oulun yliopisto
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Jan Hjort
Oulun yliopisto
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Timo Hugg
Oulun yliopisto
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Maritta Jaakkola
Oulun yliopisto
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Jouni Jaakkola
Oulun yliopisto
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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.