Assessment of spirometric parameters and sensitivity to exercise-induced bronchospasm in school children attending schools located near road traffic in Brazzaville
International Journal of Development Research
Assessment of spirometric parameters and sensitivity to exercise-induced bronchospasm in school children attending schools located near road traffic in Brazzaville
Received 17th September, 2022; Received in revised form 28th September, 2022; Accepted 16th October, 2022; Published online 30th November, 2022
Copyright©2022, NSOMPI Florent et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background: The purpose of this study was to assess spirometric parameters and determine the level of sensitivity to exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in schoolchildren exposed to automotive pollutants. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving 156 subjects divided into two groups: The exposed group (EG) made up of 84 subjects from a school located near a main road and the less exposed group (LEG) made up of 72 subjects from a school located away from road traffic. A 6 minute stress test was performed. The spirometric measurements were made before and 5 minute after the stress test. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in the mean values of the peak expiratory flow (PEF) and maximal expiratory flow at 25-75 % of the forced vital capacity (FEF2575) recorded before exercise in girls and boys from the EG compared to those obtained before exercise in girls and boys from the LEG. A total of 15.48 % of the EG subjects were sensitive to the EIB compared to 9.72% of the LEG subjects. Conclusion: Long-term exposure to automotive pollutants can to alter lung function and increase the sensitivity rate to EIB in schoolchildren attending school located near road traffic.
