Short-term effects of air pollution on respiratory hospitalizations in Ha Nam, during 2018-2020

Abstract

Objectives: Air pollution has adverse effects on the respiratory system. Ha Nam is one of the most polluted provinces in Vietnam. This study aims at assessing the short-term association between air pollution and respiratory diseases among Ha Nam inhabitants during 2018-2020. Method: This ecological study used data from Ha Nam Provincial General Hospital and Obstetric-Paediatric Hospital for health information, and data from Center for Interdisciplinary Integrated Technology Field Monitoring (FIMO) for PM2.5 and temperature data. Time-series analysis was applied to estimate the risk of admissions due to respiratory diseases and daily ambient PM2.5 concentrations. Results: The majority of respiratory-related admissions were upper respiratory infections (47.3%) and pneumonia (40.8%). Number of male admissions were higher than that of female for most respiratory diseases, except chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The strongest association between PM2.5 concentrations and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Ha Nam was observed in lag 2. Conclusion: The study found positive associations between PM2.5 concentration and hospital admissions. Further investigation with a large admissions are need to certained findings. estimate the number of admissions attributed to air pollution in Ha Nam. Keywords: PM2.5, respiratory diseases, hospital admissions.