Studies of the obesogenic effect of air pollution among children have reported mixed findings, potentially because few studies focus on biologically relevant constituents of particulate matter, e.g., oxidative potential (PMOP). Further, diet quality and antioxidant intake have shown promise as potential intervention strategies to reduce the adverse effects of air pollutants in populations with asthma, but little is known about how diet modifies the effects of air pollutants on adiposity-related systemic inflammation. Our project aims to investigate how diet quality, antioxidant intake, or adiposity modify relationships between PMOP and inflammation in pediatric participants.
We recruited n = 22 children living in the Champaign-Urbana area. Our study included two home visits during which we collected indoor particulate matter samples, assessed diet quality and adiposity, and collected saliva samples for biomarker analysis. Data analysis for this work is ongoing.
This work will provide key pilot data to A) assess associations between PMOP and inflammation-related adipokines in a sensitive population and B) inform future work on how diet may disrupt the relationship between air pollution and inflammation-mediated outcomes such as obesity-related asthma, neurocognitive development, and weight trajectories. Our project will lay the foundation for future epidemiologic studies and personalized nutrition trials aimed at improving children’s health and wellbeing.
The Diet, Air Pollution, and Health (DAPH) study was funded by a UIUC Personalized Nutrition Initiative Seed Grant.
The Study Team
Principal Investigator: Dr. Sheena Martenies (HK)
Co-Investigators: Dr. Vishal Verma (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Brenda Koester (CSBS), Dr. Naiman Khan (HK), and Dr. Jenna Riis (HK)
Graduate Students: P. S. Ganesh Subramanian (CEE), Vinh Vo (HK); Alice Oloo (HK)
Publications
Oloo A, Vo V, Subramanian PSG, Verma V, Koester BD, Riis JL, Khan N, Martenies SE. 2025. The association between indoor air pollution and inflammation in children – A scoping review. Indoor Environments 2:100104; doi:10.1016/j.indenv.2025.100104.