Evidence mapPaperPMID 32952154Full record

ReviewJournal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology2021

Health effects of wildfire smoke in children and public health tools: a narrative review.

Stephanie M Holm, Mark D Miller, John R Balmes

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
85citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

85 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Wildfire and Smoke Risk Communication: A Systematic Literature Review from a Health Equity Focus.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Approach to wildfire-related health impacts.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Wildfire-Specific PMGeoHealth · 2026
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Risks and benefits of face masks in children.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026
    Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Exposure to daily mean and maximum 1-hour PMEnvironmental epidemiology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2025
    Article
  20. Review

25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Stephanie M HolmWestern States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. stephanie.holm@ucsf.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5200-1716
Mark D MillerWestern States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
John R BalmesWestern States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Funding

ACL HHS R01TS000296ATSDR CDC HHS NU61TS000296ATSDR CDC HHS R01 TS000296
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Wildfire smoke is an increasing environmental health threat to which children are particularly vulnerable, for both physiologic and behavioral reasons. To address the need for improved public health messaging this review summarizes current knowledge and knowledge gaps in the health effects of wildfire smoke in children, as well as tools for public health response aimed at children, including consideration of low-cost sensor data, respirators, and exposures in school environments. There is an established literature of health effects in children from components of ambient air pollution, which are also present in wildfire smoke, and an emerging literature on the effects of wildfire smoke, particularly for respiratory outcomes. Low-cost particulate sensors demonstrate the spatial variability of pollution, including wildfire smoke, where children live and play. Surgical masks and respirators can provide limited protection for children during wildfire events, with expected decreases of roughly 20%  and 80% for surgical masks and N95 respirators, respectively. Schools should improve filtration to reduce exposure of our nation's children to smoke during wildfire events. The evidence base described may help clinical and public health authorities provide accurate information to families to improve their decision making.

Indexed as

Air PollutionWildfiresChildEnvironmental ExposureHumansPublic HealthSmokeSmokeChildrenHealth effectsMasksRespiratorsSchoolsWildfire smoke

Identifiers

PMID32952154
PMCPMC7502220

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.