Short-term population-based non-linear concentration-response associations between fine particulate matter and respiratory diseases in Taipei (Taiwan): A spatiotemporal analysis
Journal
Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology
Journal Volume
26
Journal Issue
2
Pages
197
Date Issued
2016-03-01
Author(s)
Chien, Lung Chang
Abstract
Fine particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM 2.5) has been associated with human health issues; however, findings regarding the influence of PM 2.5 on respiratory disease remain inconsistent. The short-term, population-based association between the respiratory clinic visits of children and PM 2.5 exposure levels were investigated by considering both the spatiotemporal distributions of ambient pollution and clinic visit data. We applied a spatiotemporal structured additive regression model to examine the concentration-response (C-R) association between children's respiratory clinic visits and PM 2.5 concentrations. This analysis was separately performed on three respiratory disease categories that were selected from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance database, which includes 41 districts in the Taipei area of Taiwan from 2005 to 2007. The findings reveal a non-linear C-R pattern of PM 2.5, particularly in acute respiratory infections. However, a PM 2.5 increase at relatively lower levels can elevate the same-day respiratory health risks of both preschool children (<6 years old) and schoolchildren (6-14 years old). In preschool children, same-day health risks rise when concentrations increase from 0.76 to 7.44 μg/m 3, and in schoolchildren, same-day health risks rise when concentrations increase from 0.76 to 7.52 μg/m 3. Changes in PM 2.5 levels generally exhibited no significant association with same-day respiratory risks, except in instances where PM 2.5 levels are extremely high, and these occurrences do exhibit a significant positive influence on respiratory health that is especially notable in schoolchildren. A significant high relative rate of respiratory clinic visits are concentrated in highly populated areas. We highlight the non-linearity of the respiratory health effects of PM 2.5 on children to investigate this population-based association. The C-R relationship in this study can provide a highly valuable alternative for assessing the effects of ambient air pollution on human health.
Subjects
children's respiratory clinic visits; concentration-response curve; PM2.5; spatiotemporal analysis
Publisher
SPRINGERNATURE
Type
journal article