Exposure to ambient air pollution during childhood and subsequent risk of self-harm: A national cohort study.

From PubMed via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2020-10-28, revised 2021-01-30, accepted 2021-02-22Publication status: ppublishA growing body of evidence indicates that exposure to air pollution not only impacts on physical health but is also linked with a deterioration in mental health. We conducted the first study to investigate exposure to ambient particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO ) during childhood and subsequent self-harm risk. The study cohort included persons born in Denmark between January 1, 1979 and December 31, 2006 (N = 1,424,670), with information on daily exposures to PM and NO at residence from birth to 10th birthday. Follow-up began from 10th birthday until first hospital-presenting self-harm episode, death, or December 31, 2016, whichever came first. Incidence rate ratios estimated by Poisson regression models revealed a dose relationship between increasing PM exposure and rising self-harm risk. Exposure to 17-19 μg/m of PM on average per day from birth to 10th birthday was associated with a 1.45 fold (95% CI 1.37-1.53) subsequently elevated self-harm risk compared with a mean daily exposure of