學生健康體適能與空氣懸浮微粒之空間關聯分析: 以臺灣地區生態相關研究為例

Introduction: The adverse health impacts associated with particulate matter air pollution exposure have been thoroughly studied. However, little is known about the effects of ambient particulate matter, specifically PM_(10) (particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter) and PM_(2.5) (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter), on health-related physical fitness performance. This study explored the association of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) concentrations with health-related physical fitness measurements in Taiwanese school-aged children and adolescents. Methods: We conducted an ecological study and calculated the annual average concentration of two outdoor particulate matter air pollutants (i.e., PM_(10) and PM_(2.5)) by using data for the period 2006-2010 from the 70 air quality monitoring stations operated by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration. Health-related physical fitness measurements were obtained from a national survey conducted by the Taiwan Ministry of Education among elementary school students (n = 169,206) from the fourth through eighth grades during the period 2007-2011. The annual average values of health-related physical fitness measurements were calculated and assessed on the basis of five components: aerobic endurance (800-/1600-m run), muscular strength and endurance (bent-leg sit-ups), flexibility (sit-and-reach), explosive power (standing long jump), and body composition (body mass index [BMI]). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationship of PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) concentrations with health-related physical fitness measurements. Results: The Pearson correlation coefficients for PM_(10) concentrations and 800-/1600-m runs were 0.268 to 0.403 (p ＜ .05) in male students. For the bent-leg sit-up data, the coefficients were -0.299 to -0.319 (p ＜ .05) in male students and -0.080 to -0.316 (p ＜ .05) in female students. For the sit-and-reach data, the coefficients were 0.251 to 0.312 (p ＜ .05) in male students and 0.251 to 0.294 (p ＜ .05) in female students. For the standing long jump data, the coefficient was -0.276 (p ＜ .05) in female students. For the BMI data, the coefficients were 0.253 to 0.346 (p ＜ .05) in female students. In addition, the Pearson correlation coefficients for PM_(2.5) concentrations and the 800-/1600-m run were 0.252 to 0.383 (p ＜ .05) in male students. For the bent-leg sit-up data, the coefficients were -0.244 to -0.337 (p ＜ .05) in male students and -0.305 to -0.377 (p ＜ .05) in female students. For the sit-and-reach data, the coefficients were 0.244 to 0.260 (p ＜ .05) in male students and 0.247 (p ＜ .05) in female students. For the BMI data, the coefficients were 0.250 to 0.320 (p ＜ .05) in female students. Conclusion: The current study suggests that particulate matter air pollutants adversely affected the health-related physical fitness measurements of Taiwanese school-aged children and adolescents, and that exercising in a polluted environment might not have beneficial effects on the health-related physical fitness performance of Taiwanese school-aged children and adolescents.