Preliminary investigation of the association between air pollution exposure and childhood asthma hospitalizations from 2015 to 2018 in East China

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated whether exposure to air pollution remains a significant factor contributing to childhood asthma in China.

Methods: Short-term exposure to air pollutants was assessed using daily average concentrations of pollutants at current and lag intervals (0-6 days) from 2015 to 2018. Long-term individual exposure in 2016 was estimated using land-use regression (LUR) models. The effects of short- and long-term exposure on childhood asthma hospitalizations were evaluated using generalized additive models and multiple time-dependent Cox regression models, respectively.

Results: Hospitalizations for childhood asthma typically peaked in late spring and fall, with a higher prevalence of wheezing or asthma observed in male individuals than in female individuals. Hospital admissions were most frequent among children aged 0-3 years. However, no significant positive associations were observed between short- or long-term air pollutant exposure and daily childhood asthma hospitalizations, based on the applied statistical models and the levels of air pollution exposure measured during the study period.

Conclusion: In this study, variability in air pollution exposure was not associated with variability in hospitalizations of children with asthma. Instead, asthma onset exhibited unique seasonal and demographic patterns.

Keywords: air pollution; association; asthma; childhood; exposure.