Effect of episodes of air pollution on school absenteeism

Conference · · Archives of Environmental Health; (USA)

OSTI ID:5546041

Kreis, I A; Zihm, C G.M.; Slob, W; Blom, W ^[1]

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1. National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven (Netherlands)

We evaluated an association between episodes of high SO{sub 2} pollution of the air and school absenteeism during a 2-y period. Data on absenteeism were collected from 84 elementary schools in the first year and 111 schools in the second year. The schools were selected for their proximity to air pollution monitoring stations. The data were used as a nonspecific, but sensitive health indicator. Sulfur dioxide was selected because it was almost continuously available. The correlation between SO{sub 2} and absenteeism was assessed using the Box-Jenkins approach for the analysis of time series to correct for autocorrelation within the time series. Next, the data were recalculated to a weekly figure to correct for influenza epidemics, as indicated by a countrywide monitoring program of general practitioners. The country was divided into four regions in accordance with data on influenza. We used a first-order moving-average transfer model, which assumed the absenteeism due to influenza was in proportion to the data on influenza reported for the whole population. Using this model, absenteeism was estimated and subtracted from the observed absenteeism. The residuals were correlated with the data on air pollution after correction for autocorrelation. We found a relationship between absenteeism and air pollution, with a delay of 1 to 2 wk. There is a clear relationship between influenza as registered by the general practitioners and air pollution as indicated by the level of SO{sub 2}. After correction for influenza by the transfer model, the correlation between air pollution and school absenteeism is reduced to being barely significant.

• OSTI ID: 5546041
• Report Number(s): CONF-890937--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Health; (USA) Journal Volume: 45:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540110
550900* -- Pathology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AGE GROUPS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ANIMALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHILDREN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EUROPE
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MAMMALS
MAN
NETHERLANDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
VERTEBRATES