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

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.