ATHLETE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Advancing Tools for Human Early Life-course Exposome Research and Translation (ATHLETE)
IRAS ID
289958
Contact name
Rosie McEachan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bradford Institute for Health Research
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Major environmental hazards such as ambient air pollution, environmental tobacco smoke, water and food contaminants, noise, pesticides and ultraviolet light may lead to long-term health effects with large social and economic costs. As part of the previous European Commission Exposome Programme (FP7-ENV-2012-308333) HELIX project, we used novel tools and methods to characterise the totality of environmental exposures – known as the ‘exposome’ – to a wide range of hazards including both external exposures to the physical and chemical environment as well as the internal molecular signatures associated with these environmental exposures and investigated their impact on child health outcomes.
In this new ATHLETE project we will continue this research by exploring impacts of the exposome on adolescent health and co-producing interventions to reduce exposure. We are one of six birth cohort studies internationally taking part in this research. Born in Bradford will be involved in work package (WP) 1 and WP7. In WP1, the original HELIX cohort participants (n=231 aged 6-7 years) who are now in adolescence (aged 13-14 years) will be followed up. We will assess a variety of measures including clinical examinations (including body composition, blood pressure, lung health, neurodevelopment), biological samples (including blood, urine, stool), sensor data (capturing movement and environmental exposures), as well as questionnaires capturing lifestyle behaviours and health.
In WP7, we will work with two Bradford schools and 50 school-children aged 10-11 to co-produce interventions to reduce exposure to pollution. School-children will wear mobile sensors for up to 7 days to monitoring where and when exposure to urban air pollutants occur. We will also conduct ‘walking interviews’ with 15 parents and their children to explore experience of pollution on the school commute. The data collected will be used to co-produce interventions with pupils, teachers, local decision makers, and researchers to reduce children’s exposure to pollution.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/YH/0315
Date of REC Opinion
19 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion