Cross-sectional Study of Children’s Respiratory Health and Ambient Air Exposure in two communities in Lanzhou

Abstract

TPS 682: Long-term health effects of air pollutants 2, Exhibition Hall, Ground floor, August 27, 2019, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential association between air pollutants and respiratory diseases (RDs) as well as risk factors of children’s respiratory symptoms or morbidity. Methods: With informed consent and written responses, the questionnaire survey concerning children’s personal information, household condition, parents’ behavior, as well as parents’ health history, was conducted in Lanzhou by field investigation. Totally, 2000 local subjects distributing in urban (Chengguan) and suburban (Xigu) communities of Lanzhou were enrolled to participate into the survey. Data on risk factors and on respiratory disease were collected on the basis of double entry and validation of questionnaire. To analyze the effects of various risk factors to children’s respiratory disease, a two-stage regression approach was used in analysis; in the first-stage, the researcher obtained regression logits of community-specific prevalence of asthma, bronchitis, hospitalization, persistent cough and persistent phlegm for respiratory diseases, adjusted for covariates representing personal, family and household variables. Results: Some of the covariates showed to be risk factors of school children’s respiratory disease. However, there were community differences. The results showed that there were associations between community-specific adjusted prevalence rates and ambient air pollutant, also the positive association between morbidity prevalence and outdoor levels of PM2.5. Conclusions: It was found that Children’s grade (2nd grade), exclusive breastfeeding, pet (cat) ownership, parent’s smoking behavior, educational level and medical history of bronchitis and average number of cooking days were found to be risk factors of children’s’ respiratory morbidity. Also, it was found out that at Xigu, asthma was more associated with persistent cough while at Chenggang’s allergic/allergic rhinitis appeared to be more strongly associated.