Associations Between Early-Life Adversity, Ambient Air Pollution, and Telomere Length in Children.

OBJECTIVE: Examine the independent associations and interaction between early-life adversity and residential ambient air pollution exposure on relative buccal telomere length (rBTL). METHODS: Experiences of abuse, neglect, household challenges, and related life events were identified in a cross-sectional sample of children ages 1-11 years (n = 197) using the 17-item Pediatric ACEs and Related Life Event Screener (PEARLS) tool. The PEARLS tool was analyzed both as a total score and across established domains (Maltreatment, Household Challenges, and Social Context). Ground-level fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations were matched to residential locations for the one and twelve months prior to biospecimen collection. We used multivariable linear regression models to examine for independent associations between continuous PM 2.5 exposure and PEARLS score/domains with rBTL. Additionally, effect modification by PEARLS scores and domains on associations between PM 2.5 exposure and rBTL was examined. RESULTS: Study participants were 47% girls, with mean age = 5.9 years [standard deviation: 3.4] median reported PEARLS score of 2 [interquartile range (IQR): 4], median 12-month prior PM 2.5 concentrations of 11.8 µg/m 3 [IQR: 2.7], median 1-month prior PM 2.5 concentrations of 10.9 µg/m 3 [IQR: 5.8], and rBTL of 0.1 [IQR: 0.03]. Mean 12-month prior PM 2.5 exposure was inversely associated with rBTL (ß = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.04, -0.01). While reported PEARLS scores and domains were not independently associated with rBTL, we observed a greater decrement in rBTL with increment of average annual PM 2.5 as reported Social Context domain items increased (p-interaction<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that adverse Social Context factors may accelerate the association between chronic PM 2.5 exposure on telomere shortening during childhood.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Related Events are Associated with Asthma Symptoms in Children.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and related events and asthma symptom burden in children. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of baseline data from 147 participants with asthma from a cohort of children enrolled in the Pediatric ACEs Screening and Resiliency Study. Participants completed the PEdiatric ACEs and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS) tool, a 17-item questionnaire, capturing 3 domains of childhood adversity-child maltreatment, household challenges, and social context. Asthma symptom burden was assessed using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood core questionnaire, which asks participants to identify the presence and frequency of severe wheezing that limits speech, wheezing with exercise, nocturnal wheezing, and nocturnal cough in the last 12 months. Using multivariable logistical regression models, we examined the relationship between reported PEARLS and asthma symptoms. RESULTS: Of children with asthma, 86% reported at least 1 adversity, with 48% reporting 4 or more. The odds of severe wheeze limiting speech increased by 19% with each additional reported adversity captured by the PEARLS tool (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.01-1.41). Increasing PEARLS scores were also associated with 16% increased odds of reporting wheeze with exercise (95% CI 1.03-1.31). Wheezing with exercise was associated with the household challenges domain (odds ratio (OR) 1.34; 95% CI 1.05-1.72), while severe wheeze limiting speech was associated with the social context domain (OR 1.75; 95%CI 1.02-3.02). CONCLUSIONS: Childhood adversities are associated with increased asthma symptom burden, suggesting the tool may be helpful in identifying children at risk for poorly controlled asthma.

Neighborhood Health and Outcomes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Rationale: Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood has been associated with worse survival in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), however, prior studies have only examined the impact of neighborhood health on outcomes in IPF as a composite measure. Objectives: To investigate the association between neighborhood health and disease severity, measured by pulmonary function at presentation, and death in follow-up, with an additional focus on the contributions of the neighborhood's underlying physical and social factors to these outcomes. Methods: In a retrospective study of participants from the University of California, San Francisco, IPF Cohort (2001-2020), geocoded home addresses were matched to the California Healthy Places Index (HPI), a census-tract measure of neighborhood health. The HPI comprises 25 indicators of neighborhood health that are organized into eight physical and social domains, each of which is weighted and summed to provide a composite HPI score. Regression models were used to examine associations between the HPI as a continuous variable, in quartiles, and across each physical and social domain of the HPI (higher values indicate greater advantage) and forced vital capacity (FVC) percent predicted (% predicted), diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DlCO) % predicted, and death, adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates. We also studied the interaction between disease severity at presentation and neighborhood health in our time-to-event models. Results: In 783 participants with IPF, each 10% increase in HPI was associated with a 1% increase in FVC % predicted and DlCO % predicted (95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 0.55, 1.72; and 0.49, 1.49, respectively). This association appeared primarily driven by the economic, education, access, and social HPI domains. We also observed differences in the associations of HPI with mortality depending on disease severity at presentation. In participants with normal to mildly impaired FVC % predicted (⩾70%) and DlCO % predicted (⩾60%), decreased HPI was associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio = 2.91 Quartile 1 vs. Quartile 4; 95% CI = 1.20, 7.05). No association was observed between the HPI and death for participants with moderate to severely impaired FVC % predicted and DlCO % predicted. Conclusions: Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods was associated with worse pulmonary function in participants with IPF and was independently associated with increased mortality in participants with normal to mild physiological impairment at presentation.

Long-term ozone exposure and lung function in middle childhood.

BACKGROUND: Ozone (O3) exposure interrupts normal lung development in animal models. Epidemiologic evidence further suggests impairment with higher long-term O3 exposure across early and middle childhood, although study findings to date are mixed and few have investigated vulnerable subgroups. METHODS: Participants from the CANDLE study, a pregnancy cohort in Shelby County, TN, in the ECHO-PATHWAYS Consortium, were included if children were born at gestational age >32 weeks, completed a spirometry exam at age 8-9, and had a valid residential history from birth to age 8. We estimated lifetime average ambient O3 exposure based on each child's residential history from birth to age 8, using a validated fine-resolution spatiotemporal model. Spirometry was performed at the age 8-9 year study visit to assess Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) as primary outcomes; z-scores were calculated using sex-and-age-specific reference equations. Linear regression with robust variance estimators was used to examine associations between O3 exposure and continuous lung function z-scores, adjusted for child, sociodemographic, and home environmental factors. Potential susceptible subgroups were explored using a product term in the regression model to assess effect modification by child sex, history of bronchiolitis in infancy, and allergic sensitization. RESULTS: In our sample (n = 648), O3 exposure averaged from birth to age 8 was modest (mean 26.6 [SD 1.1] ppb). No adverse associations between long-term postnatal O3 exposure were observed with either FEV1 (ß = 0.12, 95% CI: -0.04, 0.29) or FVC (ß = 0.03, 95% CI: -0.13, 0.19). No effect modification by child sex, history of bronchiolitis in infancy, or allergic sensitization was detected for associations with 8-year average O3. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample with low O3 concentrations, we did not observe adverse associations between O3 exposures averaged from birth to age 8 and lung function in middle childhood.

Race, Racism, and Respiratory Health.

The study and practice of pulmonary medicine have been profoundly influenced by race theory, which was ascendant at the time of key developments within the specialty. We explore how, as a social determinant of health, race remains a powerful driver of present-day health disparities in respiratory diseases. Both legacy and contemporary inequities are identified through Dr DR Williams's model of cultural, structural, and interpersonal racism.

Pediatric ACEs and related life event screener (PEARLS) latent domains and child health in a safety-net primary care practice.

BACKGROUND: Research examining the connections between individual adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how groupings of interrelated adversities are linked with subsequent health is scarce, limiting our understanding of risk during a period of rapid expansion of ACE screening in clinical practice. The study objective was to conduct a psychometric analysis to derive latent domains of ACEs and related life events and assess the association between each domain and health outcome. METHODS: Participants (3 months-11 years) were recruited from the University of California San Francisco Benioff's Children Hospital Oakland Primary Care Clinic. Children were screened with the Pediatric ACEs and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS) (n = 340), which assessed 17 total ACEs and related life events, including forms of abuse, household challenges, and social risks. Domains were constructed using confirmatory factor analysis and associations between the three identified domains and 14 health outcomes were assessed using multivariable linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Three PEARLS domains were identified: Maltreatment (ω = 0.73, ɑ=0.87), Household Challenges (ω = 0.70, ɑ=0.82), and Social Context (ω = 0.55, ɑ=0.70). Measurement invariance was supported across both gender and screening format. All domains were associated with poorer general and behavioral health and stomachaches. Maltreatment and Social Context were additionally associated with eczema while only Social Context was associated with increased odds of reporting headaches and somatic symptoms. CONCLUSION: In an underserved, urban west-coast pediatric population, the PEARLS found three adversity domains of Maltreatment, Household Challenges, and Social Context that all had an independent statistically significant association with poorer child health. The results provide a timely and more nuanced representation of risk that can inform clinical practice and policy using more targeted resources and interventions.

Structural Racism and the Social Determinants of Health in Asthma.

Asthma prevalence and morbidity are disproportionately higher among minoritized communities in the United States. Racial and ethnic disparities in asthma result from complex interactions across biological, environmental, and social factors. Asthma is considered a complex heterogeneous disease consisting of different phenotypes, some of which may be more common in individuals impacted by the downstream effects of structural racism and lack of access to the social determinants of health. Structural racism across generations has created and reinforced inequitable systems through policies and practices which are embedded in the economic, educational, health care, and justice systems (Bailey et al., N Engl J Med 384(8):768-773, 2021; Bailey et al., Lancet 389:1453-1463, 2017; Williams et al., Annu Rev Public Health 40:105-125, 2019). This manifests in an inequitable distribution of resources and the social determinants of health affecting an individual's physical and social environment (Bailey et al., Lancet 389:1453-1463, 2017; Thakur et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med 202:943-949, 2020; Martinez et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol 148(5):1112-1120, 2021). In this chapter, we outline how inequity in housing, zoning laws, urban planning, education, employment, healthcare access, and healthcare delivery is linked to higher asthma prevalence and morbidity. We also describe the role that chronic physiologic stress has on asthma by enhancing neuroimmune and immunologic responses to environmental exposures. Interventions aimed at addressing the physical or social environment of an individual or community have been shown to improve asthma outcomes in patients at higher risk of severe disease.

African American race is associated with worse sleep quality in heavy smokers.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of self-identified race with sleep quality in heavy smokers. METHODS: We studied baseline data from 1965 non-Hispanic White and 462 African American participants from SPIROMICS with ≥ 20 pack-years smoking history. We first examined the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index's (PSQI) internal consistency and item-total correlation in a population with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We then used staged multivariable regression to investigate the association of race and sleep quality as measured by the PSQI) The first model included demographics, the second added measures of health status, and the third, indicators of socioeconomic status. We next explored the correlation between sleep quality with 6-minute walk distance and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire score as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-relevant outcomes. We tested for interactions between self-identified race and the most important determinants of sleep quality in our conceptual model. RESULTS: We found that the PSQI had good internal consistency and item-total correlation in our study population of heavy smokers with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. African American race was associated with increased PSQI in univariable analysis and after adjustment for demographics, health status, and socioenvironmental exposures (P = .02; 0.44 95%CI: .06 to .83). Increased PSQI was associated with higher postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second and lower household income, higher depressive symptoms, and female sex. We identified an interaction wherein depressive symptoms had a greater impact on PSQI score for non-Hispanic White than African American participants (P for interaction = .01). CONCLUSIONS: In heavy smokers, self-reported African American race is independently associated with worse sleep quality. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Study of COPD Subgroups and Biomarkers (SPIROMICS); URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01969344; Identifier: NCT01969344. CITATION: Baugh AD, Acho M, Arhin A, et al. African American race is associated with worse sleep quality in heavy smokers. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(8):1523-1532.

Lessons Learned from Health Disparities in Coronavirus Disease-2019 in the United States.

In the United States, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionally affected Black, Latinx, and Indigenous populations, immigrants, and economically disadvantaged individuals. Such historically marginalized groups are more often employed in low-wage jobs without health insurance and have higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 than non-Latinx White individuals. Mistrust in the health care system, language barriers, and limited health literacy have hindered vaccination rates in minorities, further exacerbating health disparities rooted in structural, institutional, and socioeconomic inequities. In this article, we discuss the lessons learned over the last 2 years and how to mitigate health disparities moving forward.

Race and Ethnicity in Pulmonary Function Test Interpretation: An Official American Thoracic Society Statement.

Current American Thoracic Society (ATS) standards promote the use of race and ethnicity-specific reference equations for pulmonary function test (PFT) interpretation. There is rising concern that the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation contributes to a false view of fixed differences between races and may mask the effects of differential exposures. This use of race and ethnicity may contribute to health disparities by norming differences in pulmonary function. In the United States and globally, race serves as a social construct that is based on appearance and reflects social values, structures, and practices. Classification of people into racial and ethnic groups differs geographically and temporally. These considerations challenge the notion that racial and ethnic categories have biological meaning and question the use of race in PFT interpretation. The ATS convened a diverse group of clinicians and investigators for a workshop in 2021 to evaluate the use of race and ethnicity in PFT interpretation. Review of evidence published since then that challenges current practice and continued discussion concluded with a recommendation to replace race and ethnicity-specific equations with race-neutral average reference equations, which must be accompanied with a broader re-evaluation of how PFTs are used to make clinical, employment, and insurance decisions. There was also a call to engage key stakeholders not represented in this workshop and a statement of caution regarding the uncertain effects and potential harms of this change. Other recommendations include continued research and education to understand the impact of the change, to improve the evidence for the use of PFTs in general, and to identify modifiable risk factors for reduced pulmonary function.

Biological Burden of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Children.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and related life events and allostatic load (AL)-"wear and tear" from chronic stress-in a pediatric population. METHODS: Children were screened with the PEdiatric ACEs and Related Life Event Screener (PEARLS) tool, a 17-item questionnaire capturing experiences of abuse, neglect, household challenges, and related life events. Biological data were available for 207 participants, and AL was operationalized using clinical or empirical cutoff points across 4 physiological systems (i.e., cardiac, metabolic, inflammatory, neurologic). Covariate-adjusted multivariable regression models were used to examine associations between AL with adversity and health. RESULTS: Children (mean age = 6.5 years, range = 1-11 years) had an average AL score of 1.9 (standard deviation = 1.7), and a U-shaped relationship was observed with child's age. Continuous PEARLS and original ACE scores were not associated with AL. However, children with a reported PEARLS score of 1 to 2 or original ACEs score of 1 to 3 had 1.5 (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.08) and 1.4 (IRR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.08-1.84) times greater AL, respectively, compared with participants with none reported. In secondary analyses, caregiver mental illness was associated with higher child AL (adjusted IRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.01-1.58). AL was also associated with poorer perceived child general health (adjusted ß = -0.87, 95% CI = -1.58 to -0.15) and greater odds of child obesity (adjusted odds ratio = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.23-1.89). CONCLUSIONS: Measuring AL in a pediatric population requires careful consideration of age. Higher AL was associated with a greater number of reported adversities and worse child health.

Screening for adverse childhood experiences in pediatrics: A randomized trial of aggregate-level versus item-level response screening formats.

BACKGROUND: While there is growing support for screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), rigorous evidence on the efficacy and preference of screening methods is needed. OBJECTIVE: To examine caregiver: (1) rates of disclosure of their child's exposure to ACEs using item-level response (each item can be endorsed) versus aggregate-level response (only total score reported) screening format, (2) associations between family demographic factors and disclosure by screening format, and (3) emotional reaction and experience of screening formats in a diverse, low-income pediatric population. METHODS: Caregiver participants (n = 367) were randomized to complete the Pediatric ACEs and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS) tool, in an aggregate-level response vs item-level response format from 2016-2019. Select caregivers (n = 182) participated in debriefing interviews. T-test and chi-square analyses in 2019 compared PEARLS disclosure rates and reactions between the screening modalities. Regression models explored interactions with child characteristics. Thematic analysis of interview notes captured caregiver screening experience. RESULTS: PEARLS disclosure rates were significantly higher in the aggregate-level response compared to the item-level response screening arm (p <0.05). This difference was accentuated for children identified as black and/or male (p <0.05). Caregiver reactions to PEARLS screening were rarely negative in either screening format. Qualitative data demonstrated strong caregiver preference for the item-level response format; additional themes include provider relationship, fear with disclosure, and screening outcome expectations. CONCLUSION: While caregivers reported a preference for the item-level response format, the aggregate-level response screening format elicited higher disclosures rates particularly for children who are black or ma. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registry: NCT04182906.

A Caregiver-Child Intervention for Mitigating Toxic Stress ("The Resiliency Clinic"): A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Primary care-based interventions that promote nurturing caregiving relationships and early relational health may help mitigate toxic stress and promote resilience in children. This pilot study aims to: (1) describe a novel group-based, psychoeducational primary care intervention for children experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) ("The Resiliency Clinic"), (2) assess program feasibility and acceptability, and (3) explore effects on child/caregiver behavioral health. METHODS: Intervention design centered on promoting supportive caregiving, caregiver/child self-regulation and co-regulation and teaching evidence-based stress management tools. Program feasibility and acceptability were assessed through attendance data and caregiver focus groups. Behavioral health measures were obtained at baseline and 8-month follow-up. RESULTS: Of 101 eligible families, 38 (37.6%) enrolled and attended a median of 3.00 (mean = 2.95, sd = 1.75) out of 6 sessions. Caregivers reported high satisfaction and benefits including stress management tools and connection with staff and other parents. There were modest, statistically non-significant improvements in caregiver stress (d = 0.23) and child executive functioning (d = 0.27). DISCUSSION: In conclusion, a group intervention teaching supportive caregiving and stress mitigation is feasible and acceptable for many families in an urban federally qualified health center (FQHC) with a signal for modest improvements in behavioral health. Future program iterations will seek to address participation barriers and expand the intervention's capacity to promote early relational health.

Risk of COPD exacerbation is increased by poor sleep quality and modified by social adversity.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep is an important dimension in the care of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but its relevance to exacerbations is unclear. We wanted to assess whether sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is associated with an increased risk of COPD exacerbations and does this differ by socio-environmental exposures. METHODS: We included 1647 current and former smokers with spirometrically confirmed COPD from the SPIROMICS cohort. We assessed incidence rate ratios for exacerbation using zero-inflated negative binomial regression adjusting for demographics, medical comorbidities, and multiple metrics of disease severity, including respiratory medications, airflow obstruction, and symptom burden. Our final model adjusted for socio-environmental exposures using the Area Deprivation Index, a composite measure of contemporary neighborhood quality, and Adversity-Opportunity Index, a composite measure of individual-level historic and current socioeconomic indicators. We used a pre-determined threshold of 20% missingness to undertake multiple imputation by chained equations. As sensitivity analyses, we repeated models in those with complete data and after controlling for prior exacerbations. As an exploratory analysis, we considered an interaction between socio-environmental condition and sleep quality. RESULTS: After adjustment for all co-variates, increasing PSQI scores (range 0-21) were associated with a 5% increased risk for exacerbation per point (p = .001) in the imputed dataset. Sensitivity analyses using complete cases and after controlling for prior exacerbation history were similar. Exploratory analysis suggested less effect among those who lived in poor-quality neighborhoods (p-for-interaction = .035). CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality may contribute to future exacerbations among patients with COPD. This represents one target for improving disease control. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier# NCT01969344. Registry URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/.