Effect of socioeconomic status on the association between air pollution and mortality in Bogota, Colombia

• Main Authors: Luis Camilo Blanco-Becerra, Víctor Miranda-Soberanis, Albino Barraza-Villarreal, Washington Junger, Magali Hurtado-Díaz, Isabelle Romieu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública 2014-07-01
• Series: Salud Pública de México
• Subjects: mortality; socioeconomic status; particulate matter; Bogota; Colombia
• Online Access: http://www.saludpublica.mx/index.php/spm/article/view/7357
• ISSN: 0036-3634; 1606-7916

Objective. To evaluate the modification effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on the association between acute exposure to particulate matter less than 10 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) and mortality in Bogota, Colombia. Materials and methods. A time-series ecological study was conducted (1998-2006). The localities of the cities were stratified using principal components analysis, creating three levels of aggregation that allowed for the evaluation of the impact of SES on the relationship between mortality and air pollution. Results. For all ages, the change in the mortality risk for all causes was 0.76% (95%CI 0.27-1.26) for SES I (low), 0.58% (95%CI 0.16-1.00) for SES II (mid) and -0.29% (95%CI -1.16-0.57) for SES III (high) per 10μg/m3 increment in the daily average of PM10 on day of death. Conclusions. The results suggest that SES significantly modifies the effect of environmental exposure to PM10 on mortality from all causes and respiratory causes.