Abstract
ObjectiveTo explore various contributors to people's reporting of self reported air pollution problems in area of living, including GIS-modeled air pollution, and to investigate whether those with respiratory or other chronic diseases tend to over-report air pollution problems, compared to healthy people.MethodsCross-sectional data from the Oslo Health Study (2000–2001) were linked with GIS-modeled air pollution data from the Norwegian Institute of Air Research. Multivariate regression analyses were performed. 14 294 persons aged 30, 40, 45, 60 or 75 years old with complete information on modeled and self reported air pollution were included.ResultsPeople who reported air pollution problems were exposed to significantly higher GIS-modeled air pollution levels than those who did not report such problems. People with chronic disease, reported significantly more air pollution problems after adjustment for modeled levels of nitrogen dioxides, socio-demographic variables, smoking, depression, dwelling conditions and an area deprivation index, even if they had a non-respiratory disease. No diseases, however, were significantly associated with levels of nitrogen dioxides.ConclusionSelf reported air pollution problems in area of living are strongly associated with increased levels of GIS-modeled air pollution. Over and above this, those who report to have a chronic disease tend to report more air pollution problems in area of living, despite no significant difference in air pollution exposure compared to healthy people, and no associations between these diseases and NO2. Studies on the association between self reported air pollution problems and health should be aware of the possibility that disease itself may influence the reporting of air pollution.
Highlights
Self reported air pollution is sometimes used as a pollution indicator in lack of objective measures
The aim of this article is to explore which factors over and above GIS-modeled air pollution levels that contribute to people's reporting of self reported air pollution problems in area of living. We investigate whether those with respiratory diseases, other chronic diseases, or poor self rated health tend to over-report air pollution problems, compared to healthy people
Independent associations were found between asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fibromyalgia and self reported poor health; and air pollution problems (APP), whereas independent associations between coronary heart disease and osteoporosis and APP were conditional on the presence of either self reported pollution due to wood or oil heating, factory etc., dwelling conditions or depression
Summary
Self reported air pollution is sometimes used as a pollution indicator in lack of objective measures. In a recent study by Heinrich et al [1] on self reported traffic intensity compared to modeled exposure of air pollution from traffic, the subjective assessments of exposure tended to overestimate the modeled estimates of air pollution exposure, indicating only a weak association between self reported and modeled air pollution. Studies that rely upon self reported air pollution data face the dilemma of whether their results only express a systematic overreporting of air pollution among those with the same disease for which they try to establish effects upon from air pollution
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