Abstract
Purpose. To investigate the short-term effect of air pollution on occurrence of nonspecific conjunctivitis. Methods. Data were collected from outpatient visits from cases with conjunctivitis over a period of one year. Regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the number of outpatient visits and the air quality and the lag effect of air quality on conjunctivitis occurrence. Results. The air quality index on the day of presentation (P = 0.023), one day before presentation (P = 0.049), and two days before presentation day (P = 0.050) had a positive relation with outpatient visits for conjunctivitis. The air quality index (P = 0.001) and outpatient visits number per day (P = 0.013) in autumn and winter (October to March) were significantly higher than those in spring (April) and summer (September). Conclusions. The air quality index within two days before presentation affected the probability of attending the outpatient clinic for nonspecific conjunctivitis. High number of cases can be expected in colder season.
Highlights
Air pollution is a risk factor for various diseases including eye irritation, respiratory infections, and heart disease [1,2,3]
The current study aims to evaluate the effect of air pollution on the occurrence of nonspecific conjunctivitis through analyzing the patients diagnosed as nonspecific conjunctivitis in Jinan city and the air pollution level of Jinan city
The air quality index (AQI) was harvested from 15 areas of Jinan district covering 3000 km2 and 4 million people
Summary
Air pollution is a risk factor for various diseases including eye irritation, respiratory infections, and heart disease [1,2,3]. The importance of conjunctiva and a high prevalence of conjunctivitis merit an investigation on the effect of air pollutant on conjunctivitis. The environmental pollution, especially the air quality, has deteriorated in the past decades in China mainly due to the rapid industrialization in the country [5]. The maximal air quality index can reach above 500 in some parts of China. No more than 5 cities among the 500 largest cities of China meet the air quality guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization. Seven cities in China were ranked among the 10 most polluted cities in the world [6]. The current study aims to evaluate the effect of air pollution on the occurrence of nonspecific conjunctivitis through analyzing the patients diagnosed as nonspecific conjunctivitis in Jinan city and the air pollution level of Jinan city
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