Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, Taiwan
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Buffer analyses have shown that air pollution is associated with an increased incidence of asthma, but little is known about how air pollutants affect health outside a defined buffer. The aim of this study was to better understand ho...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2009-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Health Geographics |
| Online Access: | http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/8/1/26 |
| _version_ | 1818568956323037184 |
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| author | Lin I-Feng Chen Mei-Lien Chan Ta-Chien Lee Cheng-Hua Chiang Po-Huang Wang Da-Wei Chuang Jen-Hsiang |
| author_facet | Lin I-Feng Chen Mei-Lien Chan Ta-Chien Lee Cheng-Hua Chiang Po-Huang Wang Da-Wei Chuang Jen-Hsiang |
| author_sort | Lin I-Feng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Buffer analyses have shown that air pollution is associated with an increased incidence of asthma, but little is known about how air pollutants affect health outside a defined buffer. The aim of this study was to better understand how air pollutants affect asthma patient visits in a metropolitan area. The study used an integrated spatial and temporal approach that included the Kriging method and the Generalized Additive Model (GAM).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We analyzed daily outpatient and emergency visit data from the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance and air pollution data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration during 2000–2002. In general, children (aged 0–15 years) had the highest number of total asthma visits. Seasonal changes of PM<sub>10</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, O<sub>3 </sub>and SO<sub>2 </sub>were evident. However, SO<sub>2 </sub>showed a positive correlation with the dew point (r = 0.17, p < 0.01) and temperature (r = 0.22, p < 0.01). Among the four pollutants studied, the elevation of NO<sub>2 </sub>concentration had the highest impact on asthma outpatient visits on the day that a 10% increase of concentration caused the asthma outpatient visit rate to increase by 0.30% (95% CI: 0.16%~0.45%) in the four pollutant model. For emergency visits, the elevation of PM<sub>10 </sub>concentration, which occurred two days before the visits, had the most significant influence on this type of patient visit with an increase of 0.14% (95% CI: 0.01%~0.28%) in the four pollutants model. The impact on the emergency visit rate was non-significant two days following exposure to the other three air pollutants.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This preliminary study demonstrates the feasibility of an integrated spatial and temporal approach to assess the impact of air pollution on asthma patient visits. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the correlation of air pollution with asthma patient visits and demonstrate that NO<sub>2 </sub>and PM<sub>10 </sub>might have a positive impact on outpatient and emergency settings respectively. Future research is required to validate robust spatiotemporal patterns and trends.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T06:41:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-73f593befc6542f7ba913f329984c632 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-072X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T06:41:45Z |
| publishDate | 2009-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Health Geographics |
| spelling | doaj.art-73f593befc6542f7ba913f329984c6322022-12-21T23:13:12ZengBMCInternational Journal of Health Geographics1476-072X2009-05-01812610.1186/1476-072X-8-26Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, TaiwanLin I-FengChen Mei-LienChan Ta-ChienLee Cheng-HuaChiang Po-HuangWang Da-WeiChuang Jen-Hsiang<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Buffer analyses have shown that air pollution is associated with an increased incidence of asthma, but little is known about how air pollutants affect health outside a defined buffer. The aim of this study was to better understand how air pollutants affect asthma patient visits in a metropolitan area. The study used an integrated spatial and temporal approach that included the Kriging method and the Generalized Additive Model (GAM).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We analyzed daily outpatient and emergency visit data from the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance and air pollution data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration during 2000–2002. In general, children (aged 0–15 years) had the highest number of total asthma visits. Seasonal changes of PM<sub>10</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, O<sub>3 </sub>and SO<sub>2 </sub>were evident. However, SO<sub>2 </sub>showed a positive correlation with the dew point (r = 0.17, p < 0.01) and temperature (r = 0.22, p < 0.01). Among the four pollutants studied, the elevation of NO<sub>2 </sub>concentration had the highest impact on asthma outpatient visits on the day that a 10% increase of concentration caused the asthma outpatient visit rate to increase by 0.30% (95% CI: 0.16%~0.45%) in the four pollutant model. For emergency visits, the elevation of PM<sub>10 </sub>concentration, which occurred two days before the visits, had the most significant influence on this type of patient visit with an increase of 0.14% (95% CI: 0.01%~0.28%) in the four pollutants model. The impact on the emergency visit rate was non-significant two days following exposure to the other three air pollutants.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This preliminary study demonstrates the feasibility of an integrated spatial and temporal approach to assess the impact of air pollution on asthma patient visits. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the correlation of air pollution with asthma patient visits and demonstrate that NO<sub>2 </sub>and PM<sub>10 </sub>might have a positive impact on outpatient and emergency settings respectively. Future research is required to validate robust spatiotemporal patterns and trends.</p>http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/8/1/26 |
| spellingShingle | Lin I-Feng Chen Mei-Lien Chan Ta-Chien Lee Cheng-Hua Chiang Po-Huang Wang Da-Wei Chuang Jen-Hsiang Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, Taiwan International Journal of Health Geographics |
| title | Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, Taiwan |
| title_full | Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, Taiwan |
| title_fullStr | Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, Taiwan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, Taiwan |
| title_short | Spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in Taipei, Taiwan |
| title_sort | spatiotemporal analysis of air pollution and asthma patient visits in taipei taiwan |
| url | http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/8/1/26 |
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