The Short-Term Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Childhood Asthma Hospitalization in Taiwan: A National Study

Ching-Yen Kuo, Chin-Kan Chan, Chiung-Yi Wu, Dinh-Van Phan and Chien-Lung Chan
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Ching-Yen Kuo: Department of Information Management, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Jung-Li, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan
Chin-Kan Chan: Department of Pediatrics, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, 1492 Zhongshan Road, Taoyuan Dist., Taoyuan 330, Taiwan
Chiung-Yi Wu: Department of Information Management, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Jung-Li, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan
Chien-Lung Chan: Department of Information Management, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Jung-Li, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: This investigation determined the effects of air pollution on childhood asthma hospitalization in regions with differing air pollution levels in Taiwan over a long time period. Data of childhood hospital admissions for asthma in patients aged 0–18 years and air quality in eight regions for the period 2001–2012 in Taiwan were collected. Poisson generalized linear regression analysis was employed to identify the relative risks of hospitalization due to asthma in children associated with exposure to varying levels of air pollutants with a change in the interquartile range after adjusting for temperature and relative humidity. Particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ), particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM 10 ), ozone (O 3 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), were positively associated with childhood asthma hospitalization, while O 3 was negatively associated with childhood asthma hospitalization. SO 2 was identified as the most significant risk factor. The relative risks for asthma hospitalization associated with air pollutants were higher among children aged 0–5 years than aged 6–18 years and were higher among males than females. The effects of air pollution on childhood asthma were greater in the higher-level air pollution regions, while no association was observed in the lower-level air pollution regions. These findings may prove important for policymakers involved in implementing policies to reduce air pollution.

Keywords: children; air pollution exposure; asthma; hospitalization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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