Does physical activity attenuate the association between ambient PM2.5 and physical function?

Haiyan Jiang; Simei Zhang; Xuecheng Yao; Lin Meng; Yaoyao Lin; Fanjia Guo; Dandan Yang; Mingjuan Jin; Jianbing Wang; Mengling Tang; Kun Chen

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162501

Does physical activity attenuate the association between ambient PM_2.5 and physical function?

Sci Total Environ. 2023 May 20:874:162501. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162501. Epub 2023 Feb 28.

Authors

Haiyan Jiang¹, Simei Zhang¹, Xuecheng Yao¹, Lin Meng¹, Yaoyao Lin¹, Fanjia Guo², Dandan Yang², Mingjuan Jin², Jianbing Wang³, Mengling Tang⁴, Kun Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
² Department of Public Health, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
³ Department of Public Health, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health of Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁴ Department of Public Health, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: tangml@zju.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Public Health, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: ck@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 36863583
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162501

Abstract

Background: Physical function (PF), such as muscle strength, performing daily activities, has gradually declined with the increase of age, causing the occurrence of disability and diseases burden. Air pollution exposure and physical activity (PA) were both linked to PF. We aimed to explore the individual and joint effects of particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM_2.5) and PA on PF.

Methods: A total of 4537 participants and 12,011 observations aged ≥45 years old from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) cohort from 2011 to 2015 were included into the study. PF was assessed by a combined score of four tests, including grip strength, walking speed, sense of balance, and chair standing tests. Air pollution exposure data was from The ChinaHighAirPollutants (CHAP) dataset. The annual PM_2.5 exposure for each individual was estimated based on county-level resident addresses. We estimated the volume of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) by quoting metabolic equivalent (MET). Multivariate linear model was conducted for baseline analysis, and linear mixed model with random participant intercepts was constructed for cohort longitudinal analysis.

Results: PM_2.5 was negatively associated with PF, while PA was positively associated with PF in baseline analysis. In cohort longitudinal analysis, a 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 was associated to a 0.025 point (95 % CI: -0.047, -0.003) decrease in PF score, and a 10-MET-h/week increase in PA was related to a 0.004 point (95 % CI: 0.001, 0.008) increase in PF score. The association between PM_2.5 and PF decreased by increased PA intensity, and PA reversed the detrimental effects between PM_2.5 and PF.

Conclusion: PA attenuated the association of air pollution with PF at both high and low levels of air pollution, implying that PA may be an effective behavior to reduce the adverse effects of poor air quality on PF.

Keywords: CHARLS; Interactive effect; Joint effect; PM(2.5); Physical activity; Physical function.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Air Pollution* / analysis
Cohort Studies
Environmental Exposure / analysis
Exercise / physiology
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Middle Aged
Particulate Matter / analysis

Substances

Particulate Matter
Air Pollutants