Exposure to air pollution and lifestyles of children partecipating in the MAPEC_LIFE (Monitoring Air Pollution Effects on Children for supporting Public Health Policy) study

The MAPEC_LIFE project is a multicentre cohort study that seeks to assess the association between concentrations of certain atmospheric pollutants and early biological effects in children aged 6-8 living in five Italian towns (Brescia, Lecce, Perugia, Pisa and Torino). In order to evaluate the confounding role of other factors to which the subject may be exposed, the parents of the children were asked to fill in in two different seasons an ad hoc questionnaire. It was composed of 148 questions to obtain personal, anthropometric and health information on the children, as well as information on their lifestyles and parental characteristics. The definitive cohort was composed of 1164 children (50.9% boys, 95.4% born in Italy). Variations were seen in terms of the survey season (physical activity, cooking methods) and among the cities (parents’ level of education and rate of employment, sport, perceived traffic near the home, type of heating, passive smoking, cooking methods). Information on environmental exposure and the lifestyles of children will be integrated with other information acquired during the study in order to construct a global model of genotoxic risk.