Air pollutants and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication administration in elementary schools

Saadeh,Rami A.; Jayawardene,Wasantha P.; Lohrmann,Davide K.; Youssefagha,Ahmed H.; Allouh,Mohammed Z.

doi:10.3892/br.2022.1568

Air pollutants and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication administration in elementary schools

Authors:
- Rami A. Saadeh
- Wasantha P. Jayawardene
- Davide K. Lohrmann
- Ahmed H. Youssefagha
- Mohammed Z. Allouh
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Affiliations: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan, School of Human Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA, Indiana University School of Public Health‑Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA, Allied Business for Development and Training, Fishers, IN 46040, USA, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain City 15551, United Arab Emirates
Published online on: September 13, 2022 https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2022.1568
Article Number: 85

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Abstract

Air pollution is considered a risk factor for several diseases, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects of air pollution on neurobehavioral disorders have not been confirmed as of yet. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether there was an association between seven air pollutants and ADHD medication administration (ADHD‑MA) in Pennsylvania‑located elementary schools over a 3‑year period. An ecological study design involving records of 168,825 children from elementary schools in 49 Pennsylvania counties was used. The number of children with ADHD‑MA was extracted from an online software specifically designed for allowing nurses to record health conditions in schools. Daily measurements of air pollutants were obtained from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. The differences in the number of ADHD‑MA among the four seasons, for all years, were statistically significant (P<0.001). Three air pollutants (SO2, CO, and PM2.5) were significantly associated with ADHD‑MA; no interactions among air pollutants were significant. Air pollution was thus likely associated with ADHD‑MA. Prospective epidemiological and biomedical studies should next examine the molecular relationship between air pollution and ADHD symptoms.

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