Association between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Environmental Quality in the United States

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become an emerging public health problem. The impact of multiple environmental factors on the prevalence of ASD remains unclear. This study examined the association between the prevalence of ASD and the environmental quality index (EQI), an indicator of cumulative environmental quality in five major domains, including air, water, land, built and sociodemographic variables in the United States. The results from Poisson regression models show that the prevalence of ASD has a positive association with the overall EQI with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.03 and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.01–1.06, indicating that children in counties with poor environmental quality might have a higher risk of ASD. Additionally, the prevalence of ASD has a positive association with the air index (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.06). These associations varied in different rural–urban groups and different climate regions. This study provided evidence for adverse effects of poor environmental quality, particularly air pollutants, on children’s neurodevelopment.