Recent systematic reviews have demonstrated associations between air pollution exposure and both blood pressure and hypertension in adults and children.16,17 Research suggests higher exposure to air pollution during childhood may lead to increased risk later in life. A sub-study of the Eastern Africa Children’s Health (EACH) Study, the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Study, will be conducted to assess ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in a cohort of 300 children drawn from the EACH study population in Uganda. These participants will also be those who will receive personal air pollution exposure assessments as part of the Personal Air Pollution Exposure Assessment Study. Researchers from Makerere University will carry out 24-hour ABP measurements using Spacelabs 90207 ABP Monitors (Snoqualmie, WA). ABP monitoring provides an estimate of “true” blood pressure as it varies in response to daily life. Pollution exposure, by nature, occurs outside of the clinic setting, and ABP monitoring may therefore provide an accurate indicator of the acute effects of exposure on blood pressure. To understand the acute impacts of air pollution on ABP, Hub researchers will examine these data with health indicators collected in the larger EACH study.
The Ambulatory Blood Pressure Study will be initiated in conjunction with the EACH study by Hub researchers at Makerere University for a period of one year between 2023-2026.