The Association between Air Pollutants and Allergies in Pre-school Children-Using the National Health Insurance Database.

• Main Authors: Hui-Ying Chung, 鍾慧穎
• Other Authors: Li-Ming YIIN
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17986377859775419292

碩士 === 慈濟大學 === 公共衛生學系碩士班 === 102 === The main purpose of this research is to investigate the prevalences of asthma and allergies for children from 0-6 years old; moreover, to observe whether air pollutants are factors that trigger allergies. This research, based on the Longitudinal National Health Insurance database (400,000) since 2007-2011, according to the 9th version of the international disease classification (ICD-9-CM), selected eligible subjects with asthma, atopic dermatitis, and uesd the air quality monitoring data of NOX (NO+ NO2), CO, PM10, SO2 and O3 from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) NOX (NO+ NO2), CO, PM10, SO2 and O3, to relate to the allergies by Pearson correlation analysis, variance analysis and logistic regression analysis. The study enrolled 9960 children at baseline by screening out children aged 0-6 years without complete information of air pollutant concentrations. Of the 9960 subjects, there were 469 with Asthma, 1088 with Rhinitis, and 1055 with Eczema. The results show the prevalence of young boys to be higher than that of young girls, and the rate is found to increase as age grows. In seeking medical treatments, there existed the highest rates in the eastern area for children with asthma (7.6%), in the southern area for children with allergies (12.3%), in the north for those with eczema (11.3%). The NOx, CO discharged from motor vehicles were related to allergies occuring among children of 0-6. Short term exposure to high concentrations of NOx caused the higher allergy risks, while it took longer exposure time for CO to trigger allergies. For three months before the onset of asthma occurrence, the odd ratio of high CO concentrations to low CO concentrations was statistically significant (OR = 1.55; 95% CI :1.03-1 .89). Similarly, the odd ratio of high NOx concentrations to the low NOx concentration for asthma occurrence, was also statistically significant (OR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.04-1.95), with the exposure time being the recent two weeks. The longer exposure to NOx for one month also resulted in statistical significance (OR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.16-1.57). For two months before the onset of rhinits occurrence, the odd ratio of high CO concentrations to low CO concentrations was statistically significant (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.34-2.04). For three months before the onset of rhinitis occurrence, the odd ratio of high CO concentrations to low CO concentrations was statistically significant (OR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.65-3.15). Similarly, the odd ratio of high NOx concentrations to the low NOx concentration for rhinits occurrence, with the exposures of two weeks, one month, two months and three months was also statistically significant (OR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.31-2.37), (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.59-2.02), (OR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.25-2.18) and (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.05-2.18). For three months before the onset of eczema occurrence, the odd ratio of high CO concentrations to low CO concentrations was statistically significant (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.04-1.84). Similarly, the odd ratio of high NOx concentrations to the low NOx concentration for eczema occurrence, was also statistically significant (OR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.28-1.92) and ( OR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.02-1.38), with the exposure time being the recent one month and two months. 　　In summary, outdoor air pollutants influence childrens’ trachea immune system. It is worthwhile to discuss further and support the public to gain understandings of the effects of air pollutions on human bodies in the present days.