Adriana Gardner, PharmD, MS, MPH
ADRIANA GARDNER
Nominated From: Indiana University
Research Site: Moi University
Research Area: Air pollution, tuberculosis
Primary Mentor: Leslie A. Enane, MD, MSc, FAAP
Research Project
Evaluating ambulatory air pollution exposures among youth with and without tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with particular health impacts on youth (ages 15-24 years). Increasingly, post-TB lung disease (PTLD) is recognized as an important cause of chronic lung disease. Limited data is available examining air pollution exposures that may contribute both to TB risk and to lung health outcomes. The R01-funded Youth TB Sentinel Research Network (Youth TB-SRN) will evaluate ambulatory air pollution measures among youth with and without TB across five African countries. Nested within the Youth TB-SRN, the proposed project aims to describe the feasibility, acceptability, and implementation of ambulatory air pollution monitoring among youth participants with and without TB and characterize early data regarding their air pollution exposures.
Research Significance
Emerging data demonstrates that air pollution is a risk factor for the development and recurrence of TB, but substantial gaps in the literature exist. To the best of our knowledge, no published literature exists examining the impact of air pollution on PTLD among African youth. Further, very limited data has been published using the UPAS v2+ monitors for air pollution monitoring in youth. This project will enhance the Youth TB-SRN study with comprehensive assessments of the feasibility, acceptability, and implementation of ambulatory air pollution monitoring among African youth with and without TB. This will greatly inform future studies on air pollution exposures in youth, supporting much-needed investigations in this area that are also applicable to the US. Further, this study will allow for the initial characterization of air pollution exposures in youth with and without TB. Understanding the patterns of exposures among youth in this context can inform the design of future interventions to limit air pollution exposures, particularly for youth with TB, to support lung health.
Publications
Mentors
