Asthma Prevalence Associated with Geographical Latitude and Regional Insolation in the United States of America and Australia

Goran Krstić

PLOS ONE, 2011, vol. 6, issue 4, 1-9

Abstract: Background: It has been proposed that vitamin D deficiency may be responsible for an increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases and asthma worldwide. Human ability to generate physiologically required quantities of vitamin D through sun exposure is decreasing with increasing geographical latitude. Objectives: Considering that vitamin D deficiency is usually due to lack of outdoor sun exposure, this study is designed to test the hypothesis that a higher prevalence of asthma should be expected at high relative to low geographical latitudes. Methods: Linear regression analyses are performed on asthma prevalence in the U.S. adult population vs. geographical latitude, insolation, air temperature, and air pollution (PM2.5) for 97 major metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas of the continental United States of America and on general population asthma prevalence vs. geographical latitude in eight metropolitan areas of Australia. Results: A 10° change in geographical latitude from southern to northern regions of the Eastern Seaboard is associated with a 2% increase in adult asthma prevalence (p

Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0018492

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018492

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