Abstract
BackgroundPrevious studies have found associations between asthma morbidity and air pollution especially in young population, (PLoS One 12:e0180522, 2017; Can J Public Health 103:4-8, 2012; Environ Health Perspect 118:449-57, 2010; Am J Respir Crit Care Med 182:307-16, 2010; J Allergy Clin Immunol 104:717-22, 2008; J Allergy Clin Immunol 104:717-22, 1999; Environ Res 111:1137-47, 2011) but most of them were conducted in areas with relatively low air pollutant level. Moreover, very few studies have investigated the effect and burden modification of heating season during which the ambient air pollution level is significantly different from that during non-heating season in north China.ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the effect and burden modification of heating on short-term associations between adult asthma hospitalizations and ambient air pollution in the north China city of Shijiazhuang.MethodsGeneralized additive models combined with penalized distributed lag nonlinear models were used to model associations between daily asthma hospitalizations and ambient air pollutants from 1 January 2013 to 16 December 2016 in Shijiazhuang city, adjusting for long-term and seasonality trend, day of week, statutory holiday, daily mean air pressure and temperature. Attributable risks were calculated to evaluate the burden of asthma hospitalizations due to air pollutants exposure. The effect of pollutants on hospitalization and the attributable measures were estimated in heating and non-heating season separately and the comparisons between the two seasons were conducted.ResultsAll pollutants demonstrated positive and significant impacts on asthma hospitalizations both in heating season and non-heating season, except for O3 in heating season where a negative association was observed. However, the differences of the pollutant-specific effects between the two seasons were not significant. SO2 and NO2 exposure were associated with the heaviest burden among all pollutants in heating season; meanwhile, PM10 and PM2.5 were associated with the heaviest burden in heating season.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we found evidence of the effect of ambient air pollutants on asthma hospitalizations in Shijiazhuang. The central heating period could modify the effects in terms of attributable risks. The disease burden modification of heating should be taken into consideration when planning intervention measures to reduce the risk of asthma hospitalization.
Highlights
Asthma is a well-known non-communicable disease with high morbidity, affecting over 334 million people around the world
The disease burden modification of heating should be taken into consideration when planning intervention measures to reduce the risk of asthma hospitalization
We aimed to examine the modification effect of heating on the relationship between ambient air pollutants (including particulate matter (PM)with aerodynamic diameter < 10 μm(PM10) and < 2.5 μm(PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3)) and adult asthma hospitalizations in the urban area of Shijiazhuang from 2013 to 2016
Summary
Asthma is a well-known non-communicable disease with high morbidity, affecting over 334 million people around the world. Though this diagnosis can be linked to one’s genetics, it is important to recognize that asthma can be exacerbated by multiple preventable risk factors such as environmental pollution [1]. Previous studies have traditionally taken the time-related season as a modifier [3] It remains uncertain whether pollutants’ effects are modified by the central heating period covering winter and part of spring.
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