Investigating the effects of environmental factors on autism spectrum disorder in the USA using remotely sensed data

Ashraf Z Al-Hamdan; Pooja P Preetha; Reem N Albashaireh; Mohammad Z Al-Hamdan; William L Crosson

doi:10.1007/s11356-017-1114-8

Investigating the effects of environmental factors on autism spectrum disorder in the USA using remotely sensed data

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Mar;25(8):7924-7936. doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-1114-8. Epub 2018 Jan 3.

Authors

Ashraf Z Al-Hamdan¹, Pooja P Preetha², Reem N Albashaireh³, Mohammad Z Al-Hamdan⁴, William L Crosson⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA. ashraf.al-hamdan@uah.edu.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA.
³ Department of Mathematics, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Normal, AL, 35762, USA.
⁴ Universities Space Research Association, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, National Space Science and Technology Center, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35805, USA.

PMID: 29299867
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-1114-8

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the association between exposures to outdoor environmental factors and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence in a diverse and spatially distributed population of 8-year-old children from the USA (n = 2,097,188) using the air quality index (AQI) of the US Environmental Protection Agency as well as satellite-derived data of PM_2.5 concentrations, sunlight, and maximum heat index. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether the unhealthy AQI, PM_2.5, sunlight, and maximum heat index were related to the odds of ASD prevalence based on gender and race and taking into consideration the confounding factors of smoking and socioeconomic status. The logistic regression odds ratios for ASD per 10% increase in the unhealthy AQI were greater than 1 for all categories, indicating that unhealthy AQI is related to the odds of ASD prevalence. The odds ratio of ASD due to the exposure to the unhealthy AQI was higher for Asians (OR = 2.96, 95% CI = 1.11-7.88) than that for Hispanics (OR = 1.308, 95% CI = 0.607-2.820), and it was higher for Blacks (OR = 1.398, 95% CI = 0.827-2.364) than that for Whites (OR = 1.219, 95% CI = 0.760-1.954). The odds ratio of ASD due to the unhealthy AQI was slightly higher for males (OR = 1.123, 95% CI = 0.771-1.635) than that for females (OR = 1.117, 95% CI = 0.789-1.581). The effects of the unhealthy environmental exposures on the odds ratios of ASD of this study were inconclusive (i.e., statically insignificant; p value > 0.05) for all categories except for Asians. The odds ratios of ASD for Asians were increased by 5, 12, and 14% with increased levels of the environmental exposures of 10 μg/m³ of PM_2.5, 1000 kJ/m² of sunlight, and 1 °F of maximum heat index, respectively. The odds ratios of ASD prevalence for all categories, except for Asians, were increased with the inclusion of the smoking covariate, reflecting the effect of smoking on ASD prevalence besides the unhealthy environmental factors.

Keywords: Air quality index; Autism spectrum disorder; Fine particulate matter; Heat index; Remote sensing; Sunlight.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Air Pollution / analysis
Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data
Autism Spectrum Disorder / epidemiology*
Child
Environmental Exposure / analysis*
Environmental Exposure / statistics & numerical data
Environmental Monitoring / methods*
Female
Humans
Male
Particle Size
Particulate Matter / analysis*
Prevalence
Remote Sensing Technology*
Risk Factors
United States / epidemiology

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter