The association of exposure to PM 10 with the quality of life in adult asthma patients
Objectives Air pollution has become a critical environmental issue, which severely threatens the well-being of asthma patients. The quality of life of these patients, when exposed to air pollutants such as particulate matter 10 (PM 10 ), has been poorly studied. The current research examined the ass...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine
2020-04-01
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Series: | International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.journalssystem.com/ijomeh/Association-of-exposure-to-Particulate-Matter-10-PM10-with-quality-of-life-in-adult,117578,0,2.html |
Summary: | Objectives
Air pollution has become a critical environmental issue, which severely threatens the well-being of asthma patients. The quality of life
of these patients, when exposed to air pollutants such as particulate matter 10 (PM 10 ), has been poorly studied. The current research examined
the association between the concentration of PM 10 in the air and the quality of life of patients with asthma.
Material and Methods
The study group
consisted of 300 adult asthma patients treated in 2 allergy outpatient clinics in Kraków, who declared they would not leave the city in the 14-day study
period. Daily concentrations of PM 10 from air monitoring stations were recorded over a period of 2 weeks, following which the patients filled out
the standardized Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) regarding the monitored period to assess the total quality of life and its 4 domains
(symptoms, limitation of activity, emotional functioning and environmental stimuli).
Results
The average PM 10 exposure was 65.2 μg/m 3 and only 30%
of the patients were exposed to values of ≤50 μg/m 3 , i.e., the highest 24-h threshold value considered acceptable by the World Health Organization.
The observed effect of an increased level of exposure to airborne PM 10 was associated with reduced scores in AQLQ from 0.40 at the medium level
to 0.46 at the high level, in comparison to the low level. The total score of the asthma-related quality of life and its domains showed poorer outcomes
as the concentration of PM 10 was increasing (every 0.08 pt per a 10 μg/m 3 increase).
Conclusions
The increase in the concentration of PM 10 in the air
impacts on the overall quality of life and its particular domains in people with exceptional predispositions, such as patients with bronchial asthma.
Physicians taking care of asthma patients should pay special attention to the quality of patient’s life in response to the course and control of that illness,
in relation to air pollution. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(3):311–24 |
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ISSN: | 1232-1087 1896-494X |