Monitoring Air Pollution Exposure in Children

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Monitoring air pollution exposure and it is impact on asthma management in children

  • IRAS ID

    163644

  • Contact name

    Lee Chern Koh

  • Contact email

    l.c.koh@qmul.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Joint Research Management Office (JRMO), Barts Health and QMUL

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    REDA, 010215

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Air pollution is associated with decreases in children’s lung growth and can cause severe exacerbations as well as intermittent wheezing episodes in those with asthma. Air pollution originates from a variety of sources, such as vehicle traffic or cooking. Studies have revealed that high levels of air pollution are not only prevalent in certain outdoor situations, but also found indoors. Therefore, to help improve asthma control in the children, equal attention should be given to decreasing the levels of outdoor along with indoor air pollution that children are exposed to.

    For the next 3 years, 50 asthmatic children aged (7-16) will be recruited from the Royal London Hospital Children’s Outpatient Department and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. Participants and their parents/guardians will be approached to provide consent when attending routine outpatient appointment.

    Each participant will have a total of three hospital appointments scheduled over the course of the study, which will take place with a doctor or a healthcare professional. Briefly, participants recruited into the study will answer questionnaires and carry out a lung function test. We will then ask participants to also provide samples including saliva, urine and exhaled breath condensate (vapour from their breath), so that we can test for the markers of air pollution. Participants will also be asked to carry an air pollution monitor and wear a badge to allow us to assess and measure the amount of air pollution they are exposed to.

  • REC name

    London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/LO/0799

  • Date of REC Opinion

    24 Jun 2015

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion