Puerto Rico has the highest prevalence of asthma when compared to other US states and territories.  In addition, as an ethnic group Puerto Ricans also have the highest incidence and prevalence of asthma in the US.  Thus to identify environmental risk factors that contribute to this health disparity we use community based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to study the impact of environmental stressors and empower individuals within a community to take action in environmental and heath related issues affecting their community. Currently we are conducting a longitudinal study to assess the impact of traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) in the respiratory and cognitive development of schoolchildren.  For these we set up air pollutant monitors at local schools to assess the levels of pollutants at which the children are exposed and to determine the relative risk of living near a heavily transited road and respiratory and cognitive impairments in Puerto Rican children.

Adverse effects of traffic-related air pollutants in Puerto Rican children

254th National Meeting (2017)

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