The Effects of Short-term Exposure on Hospital Admissions for Acute Lower Respiratory Infections in Young Children of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Abstract

PP-31-034 Background/Aims: Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to outdoor air pollution increases the risk of acute lower respiratory infections in young children, but few studies have been conducted in developing countries of Asia, where populations are exposed to higher levels of pollution and experience the greatest burden of disease. A team of local and international experts conducted an epidemiologic investigation in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (HCMC). The hospital component estimated the effect of short-term exposure to air pollution on hospital admissions for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in young children. Methods: Over 15,000 daily admissions for pneumonia and bronchiolitis from 2003 to 2005 were collected from 2 pediatric hospitals. Daily, city-level exposure estimates PM10, O3, NO2, and SO2 were generated using data from the city's ambient air quality monitoring network. Both individual and district-level indicators of SEP were assessed. Analyses were conducted using case-crossover and time-series approaches. Results: Increased exposure to air pollution is associated with increased ALRI admissions in HCMC in the dry season. The excess risk per 10 μg/m3 is 3.1% for PM10, 15.6% for NO2, and 7.7% for SO2. Several data limitations, however, limit our ability to draw conclusions about differential impacts by SEP on ALRI in young children in HCMC. Conclusion: This study, to the best of our knowledge, is the first to assess the health effects of air pollution in HCMC. It focuses on an understudied health outcome, ALRI, which is responsible for a substantial burden of disease among young children in developing countries.