Exposure to fine particulate matter constituents and cognitive function performance, potential mediation by sleep quality: A multicenter study among Chinese adults aged 40–89 years

Rubing Pan; Yi Zhang; Zhiwei Xu; Weizhuo Yi; Feng Zhao; Jian Song; Qinghua Sun; Peng Du; Jianlong Fang; Jian Cheng; Yingchun Liu; Chen Chen; Yifu Lu; Tiantian Li; Hong Su; Xiaoming Shi

Environment International (Dec 2022)

Exposure to fine particulate matter constituents and cognitive function performance, potential mediation by sleep quality: A multicenter study among Chinese adults aged 40–89 years

Rubing Pan,
Yi Zhang,
Zhiwei Xu,
Weizhuo Yi,
Feng Zhao,
Jian Song,
Qinghua Sun,
Peng Du,
Jianlong Fang,
Jian Cheng,
Yingchun Liu,
Chen Chen,
Yifu Lu,
Tiantian Li,
Hong Su,
Xiaoming Shi

Affiliations

Rubing Pan: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, China
Yi Zhang: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Zhiwei Xu: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Weizhuo Yi: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, China
Feng Zhao: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Jian Song: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, China
Qinghua Sun: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Peng Du: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Jianlong Fang: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Jian Cheng: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, China
Yingchun Liu: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Chen Chen: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Yifu Lu: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Tiantian Li: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China
Hong Su: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, China; Corresponding authors at: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (H. Su).
Xiaoming Shi: China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100021, China; Corresponding authors at: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (H. Su).

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 170
p. 107566

Abstract

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Although exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been associated with cognitive decline, little is known about which PM2.5 constituents are more harmful. Recent study on the association between PM2.5 and sleep quality prompted us to propose that sleep quality may mediate the adverse effects of PM2.5 components on cognitive decline. Understanding the association between PM2.5 constituents and cognitive function, as well as the mediating role of sleep quality provides a future intervention target for improving cognitive function. Using data involving 1834 participants from a multicenter cross-sectional study in nine cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China, we undertook multivariable linear regression analyses to quantify the association of annual moving-average PM2.5 and its chemical constituents with cognitive function and to assess the modifying role of exposure characteristic in this association. Besides, we examined the extent to which this association of PM2.5 constituents with cognitive function was mediated via sleep quality by a mediation analysis. We observed significantly negative associations between an increase of one interquartile range increase in PM2.5 [−0.876 (95 % CI: −1.205, −0.548)], organic carbon [−0.481 (95 % CI: −0.744, −0.219)], potassium [−0.344 (95 % CI: −0.530, −0.157)], iron [−0.468 (95 % CI: −0.646, −0.291)], and ammonium ion [−0.125 (95 % CI: −0.197, −0.052)] and cognitive decline. However, we didn’t find any individual components more harmful than PM2.5. Poor sleep quality partially mediated the estimated associations, which were explained ranging from 2.28 % to 11.99 %. Stratification analyses showed that people living in areas with lower greenspace were more susceptible to specific PM2.5 components. Our study suggests that the adverse effect of suffering from PM2.5 components is more pronounced among individuals with poor sleep quality, amplifying environmental inequalities in health. Besides reducing environmental pollution, improving sleep quality may be another measure worth considering to improve cognition if our research is confirmed in the future.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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