Particulate air pollution and hospitalization for asthma
- Department of Pediatrics, Chinese University, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., (Hong Kong)
Age-specific quarterly asthmatic hospital discharge rates in Hong Kong during 1983 to 1989 were examined in relation to mean levels of six pollutants: sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), total suspended particles (TSP), respiratory suspended particles (RSP), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOX). Discharges from the hospital of children under 14 years of age represented 56% of 33,952 discharges recorded in all age groups. Trends of adult hospitalization rates over time remained stable during the study period. In children, however, there was an increase in these rates, particularly marked in the age group of 1 to 4 years. Univariate analysis revealed a strong correlation between quarterly mean TSP and hospital discharge rate for the 1 to 4-year-old children (r = .62, P less than .001). In the 5 to 14-year-old age group, there was an inverse relationship between hospital discharge rate and sulfur dioxide level (r = -.38, P less than .05). Stepwise multiple regression analysis, controlling for confounding variables (seasonal and annual trends of asthma hospitalizations) confirmed these relationships. A highly significant linear regression equation was derived between hospitalization rate for ages 1 to 4 years and total suspended particles (P less than .001). The highly significant correlation between pollution and asthmatic hospitalization rate for the 1 to 4-year-old group suggests that young children are vulnerable to the adverse environmental effects of pollution. Auditing these relationships offers a logical basis for approaching control.
- OSTI ID:
- 5320353
- Journal Information:
- Annals of Allergy; (United States), Vol. 68:5; ISSN 0003-4738
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ASTHMA
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HONG KONG
AIR POLLUTION
NITROGEN OXIDES
HEALTH HAZARDS
OZONE
PARTICULATES
SULFUR DIOXIDE
AGE DEPENDENCE
MAN
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
ANIMALS
ASIA
CHALCOGENIDES
DISEASES
HAZARDS
MAMMALS
MATHEMATICS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
STATISTICS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology