The Life-GAP project
The project "Lifespan and inter-generational respiratory effects of exposures to greenness and air pollution" (Life-GAP) aims to study how air pollution affects respiratory health over time and across generations, with a particular focus on low exposure levels. We will also investigate possible beneficial effects of green spaces - an exposure that has been suggested to improve certain aspects of health, although little is currently known about its impact on respiratory health.
About the research project
Life-GAP will focus on several outcomes related to lung health: symptoms, diseases, medication use, hospital admissions, mortality - as well as birth-related factors that influence lung health later in life (birth weight, premature birth). We will examine associations and also population-attributable risk to assess how much of the respiratory burden could have been avoided if exposure to pollution were eliminated.
Life-GAP is based on the life-course cohort study Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE), a large population-based questionnaire cohort study of young adults that started in 1990, with extensive follow-up every decade. We will supplement these data
with unique data from national registries (cause of death, birth, prescription, and hospital data) as well as environmental exposure data (green spaces, NO₂, PM2.5, PM10, O₃, and black carbon) assigned to each participant far back in time, based on their address history.
The life-course cohort includes 21,659 participants aged 20–44 years at study start, and in addition, the generational study RHINESSA includes 8,260 children with one parent from the life-course cohort.
News and results from Life-GAP will be published here during the project period. See relevant links below.
Publications
Publications
Sinsamala RM, Marcon A, Bertelsen RJ, Accordini S, Brandt J, Frohn LM, Geels C, Gislason T, Holm M, Janson C, Malinovschi A, Markevych I, Orru H, Oudin A, Real FG, Sigsgaard T, Skulstad SM, Svanes C, Johannessen A. Associations of parental air pollution and greenness exposures with offspring asthma outcomes. Environ Res. 2025 Jun 1;274:121328. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121328.
Xu S, Marcon A, Bertelsen RJ, Benediktsdottir B, Brandt J, Frohn LM, Geels C, Gislason T, Heinrich J, Holm M, Janson C, Markevych I, Modig L, Orru H, Schlünssen V, Sigsgaard T, Johannessen A. Long-term exposure to air pollution and greenness in association with respiratory emergency room visits and hospitalizations: The Life-GAP project. Environ Res. 2025 Apr 1;270:120938. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.120938.
Xu S, Marcon A, Bertelsen RJ, Benediktsdottir B, Brandt J, Frohn LM, Geels C, Gislason T, Heinrich J, Holm M, Janson C, Markevych I, Modig L, Orru H, Schlünssen V, Sigsgaard T, Johannessen A. Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and greenness with incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Northern Europe: The Life-GAP project. Environ Res. 2024 Sep 15;257:119240. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119240.
Sinsamala RM, Johannessen A, Bertelsen RJ, Accordini S, Brandt J, Frohn LM, Geels C, Gislason T, Holm M, Janson C, Markevych I, Orru H, Real FG, Sigsgaard T, Skulstad SM, Svanes C, Marcon A. Pregnancy outcomes as related to in utero exposure to air pollution and greenness: The Life-GAP Project. Environ Epidemiol. 2024 Jun 21;8(4):e318. doi: 10.1097/EE9.0000000000000318.
Xu S, Marcon A, Bertelsen RJ, Benediktsdottir B, Brandt J, Engemann K, Frohn LM, Geels C, Gislason T, Heinrich J, Holm M, Janson C, Markevych I, Modig L, Orru H, Schlünssen V, Sigsgaard T, Johannessen A. Long-term exposure to low-level air pollution and greenness and mortality in Northern Europe. The Life-GAP project. Environ Int. 2023 Nov;181:108257. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108257.