Association between environmental factors and hospital visits among allergic patients: A retrospective study

作者：Chen, Jie; Peng, Li; He, Shan; Li, Youjin; Mu, Zhe^*

来源：Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology, 2016, 34(1): 21-29.

DOI：10.12932/ap0639.34.1.2016

• allergic rhinitis
• meteorological factors
• environmental factors
• childhood
• prevention and treatment

Objective: This study investigated correlations between meteorological and environmental factors (MEFs) and allergic rhinitis in childhood (ARC).
Methods: Children who received treatment for AR and meteorological data that might have influenced AR in the same time period were included in this study. Daily average maximum values of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM10) at 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. were provided by the Shanghai Environmental Bureau for statistical analysis using a generalized additive model (GAM).
Results: Outpatient visits for ARC were higher, with a bimodal shape, for daily average temperatures of about 11 degrees C and 21 degrees C. However, increasing humidity was associated with a downward trend in outpatient visits for ARC, suggesting that high humidity had a protective effect on AR. When levels of air pollutants such as O-3, SO2, and PM10 increased by 10 mu g/m(3), AR outpatient visits increased by 1.95%, 1.19% and 0.33%, respectively, suggesting that air pollution might increase the risk of AR episodes.
Conclusions: MEFs were significantly correlated with the incidence of ARC.

• 出版日期2016-3
• 单位上海交通大学