Relationships between perceived health status and ambient air quality parameters in healthy Japanese

Abstract

BackgroundGlobal concern about air pollution has been glowing due to its great risk on public health. Air pollution levels in high‐income countries are decreasing, while low‐ and middle‐income countries have increasing levels. In Japan, although industrial‐ and traffic‐related air pollution has been decreasing over time, concerns about particulate matter air pollution is growing in recent years. In this study, we examined the effects of air pollution on symptoms and perceived health status in healthy subjects in Japan.MethodsParticipants (n = 2,887, 40 – 79 years old) who visited healthcare center in Kumamoto (Southwestern part of Japan) or Niigata (Northern part of Japan) prefectures in February from 2010 to 2015 filled out the questionnaire, which is a self‐completed booklet containing questions on the characteristics of participants, respiratory symptoms, and health status. The subjects were administered the same questionnaire in May and July. Generalized estimation equation analyses were performed to predict the factors associating with the symptoms and health status using air quality parameters as independent variables.ResultsOnly allergic symptom was associated with air quality in both areas. Symptoms such as “weather affects cough”, “sputum production without having a cold”, and “frequent wheezes” were altered in association with air quality only in Kumamoto. The health status including physical fitness, daily activities, and social activities domains were related only to hours spent outdoors. Overall health domain was associated with hours spent outdoors and concentrations of nitric oxide and suspended particulate matters (SPM) in Kumamoto, and with temperatures and SPM concentration in Niigata. Pain score was correlated with temperature and carbon monoxide concentration only in Kumamoto. Quality of life domain was worse in those who spent shorter hours outdoors, were exposed lower humidity and higher concentrations of oxidants, SPM, and PM2.5, and experienced more ASD events in Kumamoto. In Niigata, worsened quality of life score was associated with hours spent outdoors, temperature, and SPM concentration.ConclusionsThe associations between air quality and perceived health status were found mainly in the comprehensive domain of health status such as overall health and quality of life. Particulate matter air pollution such as SPM had more impact on the health status rather than the gaseous components.Support or Funding InformationThis study was supported in part by Grants‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research (B) 20406001, 23406001 and (C) 26340053, and a “MEXT‐Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities” from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.