Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Increased Outdoor PM2.5 Concentration Is Associated with Moderate/Severe Anemia in Children Aged 6-59 Months in Lima, Peru.

Authors: Morales-Ancajima, Valeria C; Tapia, Vilma; Vu, Bryan N; Liu, Yang; Alarcón-Yaquetto, Dulce E; Gonzales, Gustavo F

Published In J Environ Public Health, (2019)

Abstract: Anemia affects 1.62 billion people worldwide. Although iron deficiency is the main cause of anemia, several other factors may explain its high prevalence. In this study, we sought to analyze the association between outdoor particulate matter PM2.5 levels with anemia prevalence in children aged 6-59 months residing in Lima, Peru (n = 139,368), one of the cities with the worst air pollution in Latin America. The study period was from 2012 to 2016. Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization (Hb < 11 g/dL). PM2.5 values were estimated by a mathematical model that combined data observed from monitors, with satellite and meteorological data. PM2.5 was analyzed by quintiles. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were used to estimate the associations between hemoglobin concentration (beta) and anemia (odds ratio) with PM2.5, after adjusting by covariates. Prevalence of anemia was 39.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 39.3-39.9). Mild anemia was observed in 30.8% of children and moderate/severe in 8.84% of children. Anemic children compared with nonanemic children are mainly males, have low body weight, higher rate of stunting, and live in an environment with high PM2.5 concentration. A slight decrease in hemoglobin (4Q B: -0.03, 95% CI: -0.05 to -0.02; 5Q B: -0.04, 95% CI: -0.06 to -0.01) and an increase in the probability of moderate/severe anemia (4Q OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10-1.27; 5Q OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.08-1.29) were observed with increased exposure to PM2.5. We conclude that outdoor PM2.5 levels were significantly associated with decreased hemoglobin values and an increase in prevalence of moderate/severe anemia in children under 5 years old.

PubMed ID: 31428166 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Air Pollutants/adverse effects*; Air Pollutants/chemistry; Anemia/blood; Anemia/epidemiology; Anemia/etiology*; Child, Preschool; Cities/epidemiology; Erythrocyte Indices; Female; Humans; Infant; Inhalation Exposure/adverse effects*; Male; Particle Size; Particulate Matter/adverse effects*; Particulate Matter/chemistry; Peru/epidemiology; Prevalence; Risk Factors

Back
to Top