Quantifying the impact of air pollution on the urban population of Brazil

This study aimed to quantify air pollution impact on morbidity and mortality in the Brazilian urban population using locally generated impact factors. Concentration-response coefficients were used to estimate the number of hospitalizations and deaths attributable to air pollution in seven Brazilian cities. Poisson regression coefficients (beta) were obtained from time-series studies conducted in Brazil. The study included individuals 65 years old and over and children under five. More than 600 deaths a year from respiratory causes in the elderly and 47 in children were attributable to mean air pollution levels, corresponding to 4.9% and 5.5% of all deaths from respiratory causes in these age groups. More than 4,000 hospital admissions for respiratory conditions were also attributable to air pollution. These results quantitatively demonstrate the currently observed contribution of air pollution to mortality and hospitalizations in Brazilian cities. Such assessment is thought to help support the planning of surveillance and control activities for air pollution in these and similar areas.

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The impact of COVID-19 infection on hip fracture 30-day mortality

Trauma ◽

10.1177/1460408620949725 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 146040862094972

Author(s):

Ahmed Fadulelmola ◽

Rob Gregory ◽

Gavin Gordon ◽

Fiona Smith ◽

Andrew Jennings

Keyword(s):

Hip Fracture ◽

Hip Fractures ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

The Elderly ◽

Primary Outcome Measure ◽

Time To Death ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact ◽

Mean Time

Introduction: A novel virus, SARS-CoV-2, has caused a fatal global pandemic which particularly affects the elderly and those with comorbidities. Hip fractures affect elderly populations, necessitate hospital admissions and place this group at particular risk from COVID-19 infection. This study investigates the effect of COVID-19 infection on 30-day hip fracture mortality. Method: Data related to 75 adult hip fractures admitted to two units during March and April 2020 were reviewed. The mean age was 83.5 years (range 65–98 years), and most (53, 70.7%) were women. The primary outcome measure was 30-day mortality associated with COVID-19 infection. Results: The COVID-19 infection rate was 26.7% (20 patients), with a significant difference in the 30-day mortality rate in the COVID-19-positive group (10/20, 50%) compared to the COVID-19-negative group (4/55, 7.3%), with mean time to death of 19.8 days (95% confidence interval: 17.0–22.5). The mean time from admission to surgery was 43.1 h and 38.3 h, in COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative groups, respectively. All COVID-19-positive patients had shown symptoms of fever and cough, and all 10 cases who died were hypoxic. Seven (35%) cases had radiological lung findings consistent of viral pneumonitis which resulted in mortality (70% of mortality). 30% ( n = 6) contracted the COVID-19 infection in the community, and 70% ( n = 14) developed symptoms after hospital admission. Conclusion: Hip fractures associated with COVID-19 infection have a high 30-day mortality. COVID-19 testing and chest X-ray for patients presenting with hip fractures help in early planning of high-risk surgeries and allow counselling of the patients and family using realistic prognosis.

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Smoking Ban: A Long-term Analysis of the Malta Paradox in a Population of over 400,000 Subjects

International Cardiovascular Forum Journal ◽

10.17987/icfj.v1i4.50 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 184 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Caroline Magri ◽

Robert Xuereb ◽

Sandra Distefano ◽

Neville Calleja ◽

Victor Grech

Keyword(s):

Hospital Admissions ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Age Groups ◽

Admission Rate ◽

Coronary Heart Disease Mortality ◽

Smoking Ban ◽

Annual Data ◽

Public Areas ◽

Coronary Syndromes ◽

The Impact

Objectives: The introduction of laws that make indoor public areas and workplaces smoke-free has resulted in a significant reduction in the incidence of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Malta was the second European country to introduce the smoking ban legislation in April 2004. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of the smoking ban in Malta on ACS morbidity and mortality. Methods: The number of ACS hospital admissions and the number of cardiovascular deaths were retrospectively analysed. The annual data for 5 years prior to and following the introduction of the Tobacco Act were obtained according to age-groups for both genders. Poisson regression analyses were performed to assess for decline in ACS admission and cardiovascular death. Results: The ACS admission rate increased throughout the 5 years following the introduction of the smoking ban. There was no change in mortality rate in the 5 years following the legislation, except in 2007 when a small but significant decline was noted. Conclusions: The Malta smoking ban did not have a significant impact on cardiovascular mortality and ACS admissions rates, indicating the need for proper enforcement of the public smoking ban and increase in public awareness regarding the adverse effects of smoking. Key words: Coronary heart disease; Mortality; Prevention; Smoking.

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Influence of air pollution on hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Nis, Serbia

Vojnosanitetski pregled ◽

10.2298/vsp1006473m ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 67 (6) ◽

pp. 473-479 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zoran Milosevic ◽

Dragan Bogdanovic ◽

Sladjana Jovic ◽

Aleksandra Stankovic ◽

Suzana Milutinovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Sulphur Dioxide ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Age Groups ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Age Group ◽

Short Term ◽

Limit Values ◽

Black Smoke

Background/Aim. In studies that investigate the health effects of short-term air pollution exposure, population-wide changes in acute outcomes such as mortality, hospital admissions and healthcare visits are linked to short-term variations in ambient pollutant concentrations. The aim of this study was to estimate the association between daily outdoor black smoke and sulphur dioxide levels and hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Nis, within a period 2001-2005. Methods. A time series analysis was performed using separated regression models for each pollutant and disease group, by age groups and population as a whole. The effects of copollutant, meteorological factors and cyclic oscillations in hospitalization numbers were controlled. Results. A significant increase in hospital admissions was associated with a 10 ?g/m3 increase in the concentration of black smoke, for cardiovascular diseases: 3.14% (< 0.01) in children and youth under 19 years of age, 1.85% (< 0.001) in 19-64 age group, and 0.84% (< 0.05) in all ages, and for respiratory diseases: 1.77% (< 0.05) in 19-64 age group, and 0.91% (< 0.05) in all ages. The effects on hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in children and youth under 19 years of age, and for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in the elderly were not statistically significant. The increase of sulphur dioxide level was associated with the increased number of hospitalizations, for both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in all age groups, but the influence was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Outdoor pollutants concentrations in urban area of Nis were below regulated limit values during most of the investigated period days but it is shown that even such a level of pollution has a significant effect on hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

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Intersectionality of Age And Air Pollution On The Use of Medical Care: National Data From Taiwan

10.21203/rs.3.rs-948003/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hung-Chieh Chang ◽

Li-Ling Hsu ◽

Wei-Liang Shih

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Medical Care ◽

Quality Index ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

National Data ◽

Annual Average ◽

Significant Difference ◽

National Databases ◽

Stratified Analysis

Abstract This study uses an intersectionality lens to understand the inequality of medical use at the intersection of age and air pollution. Using national databases from Taiwan, the results show that the increase of the level of air pollution and age is related to higher percentage of high medical use. Through stratified analysis, we found that there is no significant difference in medical use among different age groups in low AQI (Air Quality Index) areas, Yet, in areas with increasing amounts of polluted air, the elderly have a significantly higher percentage in frequent medical use. Our results show that the elderly people are more susceptible to air pollution, and suggest that, to protect their health and reduce the use of medical care, not only is there a need to reduce air pollution, but also maintain the annual average AQI level to under the value of 50.

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The Impact of Cold and Heat on Years of Life Lost in a Northwestern Chinese City with Temperate Continental Climate

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16193529 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (19) ◽

pp. 3529 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jiangtao Liu ◽

Yueling Ma ◽

Yuhong Wang ◽

Sheng Li ◽

Shuyu Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Years Of Life Lost ◽

Weather Variables ◽

Distributed Lag ◽

Heat Effects ◽

The Impact ◽

Continental Climate

Cold spells and heat waves in a changing climate are well known as great public-health concerns due to their adverse effects on human health. However, very few studies have quantified health impacts of heat and cold in the region of Northwestern China. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of cold and heat on years of life lost (YLL) in Lanzhou, a city with temperate continental climate. We compiled a daily dataset including deaths, weather variables, and air pollutants in Lanzhou, China, from 2014–2017. We used a distributed lag non-linear model to estimate single-day and cumulative effects of heat and cold on daily YLL. Results indicated that both cold and heat were associated with increased YLL for registered residents in Lanzhou. Estimated heat effects appeared immediately in the first two days, while estimated cold effects lasted over a longer period (up to 30 days). Cold significantly increased the YLL of all residents except for males and those with respiratory diseases (≥65 years). Our results showed that both heat and cold had more pronounced effects on cardiovascular diseases compared to respiratory diseases. Males might be more vulnerable to heat, while females might suffer more YLL from cold. The effects of cold or heat on the elderly might appear earlier and last longer than those for other age groups.

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The Impact of Non-optimum Ambient Temperature on Years of Life Lost: A Multi-county Observational Study in Hunan, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17082699 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (8) ◽

pp. 2699

Author(s):

Ling-Shuang Lv ◽

Dong-Hui Jin ◽

Wen-Jun Ma ◽

Tao Liu ◽

Yi-Qing Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Ambient Temperature ◽

Respiratory Disease ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cold Temperature ◽

Years Of Life Lost ◽

Distributed Lag ◽

Preventative Measures ◽

The Impact

The ambient temperature–health relationship is of growing interest as the climate changes. Previous studies have examined the association between ambient temperature and mortality or morbidity, however, there is little literature available on the ambient temperature effects on year of life lost (YLL). Thus, we aimed to quantify the YLL attributable to non-optimum ambient temperature. We obtained data from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2017 of 70 counties in Hunan, China. In order to combine the effects of each county, we used YLL rate as a health outcome indicator. The YLL rate was equal to the total YLL divided by the population of each county, and multiplied by 100,000. We estimated the associations between ambient temperature and YLL with a distributed lag non-linear model (DNLM) in a single county, and then pooled them in a multivariate meta-regression. The daily mean YLL rates were 22.62 y/(p·100,000), 10.14 y/(p·100,000) and 2.33 y/(p·100,000) within the study period for non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory disease death. Ambient temperature was responsible for advancing a substantial fraction of YLL, with attributable fractions of 10.73% (4.36–17.09%) and 16.44% (9.09–23.79%) for non-accidental and cardiovascular disease death, respectively. However, the ambient temperature effect was not significantly for respiratory disease death, corresponding to 5.47% (−2.65–13.60%). Most of the YLL burden was caused by a cold temperature than the optimum temperature, with an overall estimate of 10.27% (4.52–16.03%) and 15.94% (8.82–23.05%) for non-accidental and cardiovascular disease death, respectively. Cold and heat temperature-related YLLs were higher in the elderly and females than the young and males. Extreme cold temperature had an effect on all age groups in different kinds of disease-caused death. This study highlights that general preventative measures could be important for moderate temperatures, whereas quick and effective measures should be provided for extreme temperatures.

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Risk Analysis of Air Pollution and Meteorological Factors Affecting the Incidence of Diabetes in the Elderly Population in Northern China

Journal of Diabetes Research ◽

10.1155/2020/3673980 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Yao Lin ◽

Saijun Zhou ◽

Hongyan Liu ◽

Zhuang Cui ◽

Fang Hou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Sunshine Duration ◽

Additive Model ◽

Northern China ◽

The Elderly ◽

The United States ◽

Diabetes Incidence ◽

Lag Effects ◽

The Impact

Background. Research investigating the effect of air pollution on diabetes incidence is mostly conducted in Europe and the United States and often produces conflicting results. The link between meteorological factors and diabetes incidence remains to be explored. We aimed to explore associations between air pollution and diabetes incidence and to estimate the nonlinear and lag effects of meteorological factors on diabetes incidence. Methods. Our study included 19,000 people aged ≥60 years from the Binhai New District without diabetes at baseline. The generalized additive model (GAM) and the distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) were used to explore the effect of air pollutants and meteorological factors on the incidence of diabetes. In the model combining the GAM and DLNM, the impact of each factor (delayed by 30 days) was first observed separately to select statistically significant factors, which were then incorporated into the final multivariate model. The association between air pollution and the incidence of diabetes was assessed in subgroups based on age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Results. We found that cumulative RRs for diabetes incidence were 1.026 (1.011-1.040), 1.019 (1.012-1.026), and 1.051 (1.019-1.083) per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, respectively, as well as 1.156 (1.058-1.264) per 1 mg/m3 increase in CO in a single-pollutant model. Increased temperature, excessive humidity or dryness, and shortened sunshine duration were positively correlated with the incidence of diabetes in single-factor models. After adjusting for temperature, humidity, and sunshine, the risk of diabetes increased by 9.2% (95% confidence interval (CI):2.1%-16.8%) per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. We also found that women, the elderly (≥75 years), and obese subjects were more susceptible to the effect of PM2.5. Conclusion. Our data suggest that PM2.5 is positively correlated with the incidence of diabetes in the elderly, and the relationship between various meteorological factors and diabetes in the elderly is nonlinear.

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Monthly-Term Associations Between Air Pollutants and Respiratory Morbidity in South Brazil 2013–2016: A Multi-City, Time-Series Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16203787 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (20) ◽

pp. 3787 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Dayana Milena Agudelo-Castañeda ◽

Elba Calesso Teixeira ◽

Larissa Alves ◽

Julián Alfredo Fernández-Niño ◽

Laura Andrea Rodríguez-Villamizar

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Time Series ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Age Groups ◽

Information Service ◽

Average Concentration ◽

Respiratory Morbidity ◽

Maximum Effect ◽

South Brazil

Most air pollution research conducted in Brazil has focused on assessing the daily-term effects of pollutants, but little is known about the health effects of air pollutants at an intermediate time term. The objective of this study was to determine the monthly-term association between air pollution and respiratory morbidity in five cities in South Brazil. An ecological time-series study was performed using the municipality as the unit of observation in five cities in South Brazil (Gravataí, Triunfo, Esteio, Canoas, and Charqueadas) between 2013 and 2016. Data for hospital admissions was obtained from the records of the Hospital Information Service. Air pollution data, including PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, and O3 (µg/m3) were obtained from the environmental government agency in Rio Grande do Sul State. Panel multivariable Poisson regression models were adjusted for monthly counts of respiratory hospitalizations. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in the monthly average concentration of PM10 was associated with an increase of respiratory hospitalizations in all age groups, with the maximum effect on the population aged between 16 and 59 years (IRR: Incidence rate ratio 2.04 (95% CI: Confidence interval = 1.97–2.12)). For NO2 and SO2, stronger intermediate-term effects were found in children aged between 6 and 15 years, while for O3 higher effects were found in children under 1 year. This is the first multi-city study conducted in South Brazil to account for intermediate-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory health.

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Evaluation of community coalition training effects on youth hospital-admitted injury incidence in Victoria, Australia: 2001–2017

Injury Prevention ◽

10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043386 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 463-470 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Janneke Berecki-Gisolf ◽

Bosco Rowland ◽

Nicola Reavley ◽

Barbara Minuzzo ◽

John Toumbourou

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Negative Binomial ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Intervention Strategy ◽

Age Groups ◽

Negative Binomial Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Injury Incidence ◽

The Impact

BackgroundInjuries are one of the three leading causes of morbidity and mortality for young people internationally. Although community risk factors are modifiable causes of youth injury, there has been limited evaluation of community interventions. Communities That Care (CTC) offers a coalition training process to increase evidence-based practices that reduce youth injury risk factors.MethodUsing a non-experimental design, this study made use of population-based hospital admissions data to evaluate the impact on injuries for 15 communities that implemented CTC between 2001 and 2017 in Victoria, Australia. Negative binomial regression models evaluated trends in injury admissions (all, unintentional and transport), comparing CTC and non-CTC communities across different age groups.ResultsStatistically significant relative reductions in all hospital injury admissions in 0–4 year olds were associated with communities completing the CTC process and in 0–19 year olds when communities began their second cycle of CTC. When analysed by subgroup, a similar pattern was observed with unintentional injuries but not with transport injuries.ConclusionThe findings support CTC coalition training as an intervention strategy for preventing youth hospital injury admissions. However, future studies should consider stronger research designs, confirm findings in different community contexts, use other data sources and evaluate intervention mechanisms.

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Air Pollution and Seasonality Effects on Mode Choice in China

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.3141/2634-15 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2634 (1) ◽

pp. 101-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Weibo Li ◽

Maria Kamargianni

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Air Quality ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Mode Choice ◽

Urban Transport ◽

Modal Shift ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Study Results ◽

The Impact

A modal shift from motorized to nonmotorized vehicles is imperative to reduce air pollution in developing countries. Nevertheless, whether better air quality will improve the willingness to use nonmotorized transport remains unclear. If such a reciprocal effect could be identified, a sort of virtuous circle could be created (i.e., better air quality could result in higher nonmotorized transport demand, which in turn could further reduce air pollution). Developing countries may, therefore, be more incentivized to work on air pollution reduction from other sources to exploit the extra gains in urban transport. This study investigated the impact of air pollution on mode choices and whether nonmotorized transport was preferred when air quality was better. Revealed preference data about the mode choice behavior of the same individuals was collected during two seasons (summer and winter) with different air pollution levels. Two discrete mode choice models were developed (one for each season) to quantify and compare the impacts of different air pollution levels on mode choices. Trip and socioeconomic characteristics also were included in the model to identify changes in their impacts across seasons. Taiyuan, a Chinese city that operates a successful bikesharing scheme, was selected for a case study. The study results showed that air quality improvement had a significant, positive impact on nonmotorized transport use, which suggested that improvements in air quality and promotion of nonmotorized transport must be undertaken simultaneously because of their interdependence. The results of the study could act as a harbinger to policy makers and encourage them to design measures and policies that lead to sustainable travel behavior.

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