Does living near a major road increase the risk that a child will develop eczema?

Chief Investigators

• Dr Martine Dennekamp
• Dr Shobhit Chandra
• Prof Michael Abramson
• Dr Adrian Lowe (School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne)
• A/Prof Shyamali Dharmage (School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne)
• Dr Bircan Erbas (School of Public Health, La Trobe University)

Funded by: Monash University Strategic Grant Scheme

Eczema is a major health problem and is very common: almost one in three Australian preschool children have eczema. Eczema is increasing nationally and world-wide and the association with air pollution is understudied. Therefore, studying the triggers in children will allow for early intervention and will result in long term health benefits, as there is evidence that prevention of eczema may reduce the risk of asthma.

Study aim

To investigate whether living near a major road in Melbourne is a risk factor for the development of eczema in susceptible children.