[Impact of air pollution in paediatric consultations in Primary Health Care: Ecological study]
Raquel Martín Martín1, Marciano Sánchez Bayle2
1Centro de Salud Reina Victoria, Madrid, España.
Insights
High levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution are linked to increased paediatric respiratory consultations. Improving urban air quality is a key preventive measure for child health.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Paediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood respiratory diseases are a significant public health concern.
- Environmental pollutants are suspected contributors to respiratory illness in children.
- Primary Health Care (PHC) settings manage a substantial burden of paediatric respiratory conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between environmental pollutant levels and paediatric respiratory consultations in urban PHC.
- To identify specific pollutants correlated with increased respiratory visits in children.
- To evaluate the impact of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels on respiratory consultations.
Main Methods:
- An ecological study was conducted in a Madrid urban PHC from 2013-2015.
- Paediatric consultations for respiratory diseases (bronchiolitis, bronchospasm, upper respiratory infections) were the dependent variable.
- Environmental pollutant levels (SO2, CO, NOx, NO2, benzene) and temperature were independent variables; correlation and regression analyses were performed.
Main Results:
- Over 52,000 paediatric consultations occurred, with 12.37% related to respiratory issues.
- Positive correlations were observed between SO2, CO, NOx, NO2, and benzene levels and respiratory consultations.
- Consultations significantly increased when NO2 levels exceeded 40μg/m³, a finding confirmed by multiple linear regression.
Conclusions:
- Environmental pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide (NO2), is associated with a rise in paediatric respiratory diseases.
- Elevated NO2 levels in urban environments correlate with increased respiratory consultations in children.
- Paediatricians play a role in advocating for improved urban air quality as a crucial preventive strategy.
Objective:
To study the correlation between the levels of environmental pollutants and the number of paediatric consultations related to respiratory disease in Primary Health Care.
Patients And Methods:
An ecological study is performed, in which the dependent variable analysed was the number of paediatric consultations in an urban Primary Health Care centre in Madrid over a 3 year period (2013-2015), and specifically the consultations related to bronchiolitis, recurrent bronchospasm, and upper respiratory diseases. The independent variables analysed were the levels of environmental pollutants. Coefficients of correlation and multiple lineal regressions were calculated. An analysis has been carried out comparing the average of paediatric consultations when the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were higher and lower than 40μg/m3. RESULTS: During the period of the study, there were a total of 52,322 paediatric consultations in the health centre, of which 6,473 (12.37%) were related to respiratory diseases. A positive correlation was found between SO2, CO, NOx and NO2 and benzene levels and paediatric consultations related to respiratory diseases, and a negative correlation with temperature. The number of consultations was significantly higher when NO2 levels exceeded 40μg/m3. In the multiple lineal regression (P=.0001), the correlation was only positive between consultations and NO2 levels (3.630, 95% CI: 0.691-6.570), and negative with temperature (-5,957, 95% CI: -8.665 to -3.248).
Conclusions:
NO2 environmental pollution is related to an increase in respiratory diseases in children. Paediatricians should contribute to promote an improvement in urban air quality as a significant preventive measure.
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