AUTHOR=Iwasaki Ayumu , Teramoto Masayuki , Muraki Isao , Shirai Kokoro , Tamakoshi Akiko , Iso Hiroyasu 

TITLE=The Association Between Living Area in Childhood and Respiratory Disease Mortality in Adulthood

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604778

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604778

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> No studies have examined the association between characteristics of urban areas and future respiratory disease mortality. We examined whether the type of living area during childhood was associated with all-cause and respiratory disease mortality in adulthood.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> A total of 81,413 Japanese participants aged 40–79 years old completed a lifestyle questionnaire including the type of childhood living areas. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate the multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause and respiratory disease mortality.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Living in large city areas in childhood was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality [HR = 1.05 (95% CI, 1.01–1.10)], but not with respiratory disease mortality [HR = 1.04 (95% CI, 0.92–1.18)] compared to rural and remote areas. The excess risk of all-cause and respiratory disease mortality was primarily found in industrial areas among men; the respective multivariable HRs were 1.28 (95% CI, 1.00–1.64) and 1.90 (95% CI: 1.10–3.29).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Eliminating childhood health hazards associated with living in industrial areas suggested to reduce the risk of mortality from respiratory diseases in adulthood.</p>