A Methodology of Health Effects Estimation from Air Pollution in Large Asian Cities

Keiko Hirota,Satoshi Shibuya,Shigeru Kashima,Shogo Sakamoto

doi:10.3390/environments4030060

Abstract

The increase of health effects caused by air pollution seems to be a growing concern in Asian cities with increasing motorization. This paper discusses methods of estimating the health effects of air pollution in large Asian cities. Due to the absence of statistical data in Asia, this paper carefully chooses the methodology using data of the Japanese compensation system. A basic idea of health effects will be captured from simple indicators, such as population and air quality, in a correlation model. This correlation model enables more estimation results of respiratory mortality caused by air pollution to be yielded than by using the relative model. The correlation model could be an alternative method to estimate mortality besides the relative risk model since the results of the correlation model are comparable with those of the relative model by city and by time series. The classification of respiratory diseases is not known from the statistical yearbooks in many countries. Estimation results could support policy decision-making with respect to public health in a cost-effective way.

Highlights

The increase of health effects caused by air pollution seems to be a growing concern in Asian cities with increasing motorization
This paper considers the methodology applied to health effect estimation caused by air pollution in large Asian cities using evidence of respiratory patients caused by air pollution from Japan
A clustering around a line drawn line at a 45 degree angle indicates that the results of the correlation model are close to the results of the relative risk model

Summary

Introduction

The increase of health effects caused by air pollution seems to be a growing concern in Asian cities with increasing motorization. A basic idea of health effects will be captured from simple indicators, such as population and air quality, in a correlation model This correlation model enables more estimation results of respiratory mortality caused by air pollution to be yielded than by using the relative model. The issue of relative risk estimation is its procedure and the coefficients, due to a limited quantity of statistical data on deaths by cause at the city level in Asian countries. Epidemiologic research has provided estimates of the health effects from short-term exposure to air pollution in many Asian cities [6]. The World Health Organization (WHO) published estimated numbers of deaths caused by air pollution worldwide [7,8,9] based on the significant contributions from ACS study and Harvard six cities

Methods

Results

Conclusion