[Impact of Air Pollutants on Outpatient Visits for Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis in Lanzhou]

Objective To analyze the correlation between air pollutants and pediatric atopic dermatitis outpatient visits in Lanzhou,and provide scientific insights for the life guidance of the affected children and disease prevention by relevant departments.Methods A generalized additive model was employed to analyze the effects and lagged effects of air pollutants on pediatric atopic dermatitis outpatient visits in Lanzhou while controlling for confounding factors such as long-term trends,holiday effects,day of the week effects and meteorological factors.Results The effects of NO₂,PM_2.5,PM₁₀,and SO₂ on pediatric atopic dermatitis outpatient visits were most significant on the current day(Lag0),but were not statistically significant (all P>0.05);CO also had the most significant effect on Lag0,and for every 10 μg/m³ increase in its concentration,the excess risk (ER) for pediatric atopic dermatitis outpatient visits was 0.05% (95%CI=0-0.10%,P=0.049);and O₃ exhibited the most significant effect on day 7 of the cumulative lag (Lag07),with a statistically significant increase in the ER for each 10 μg/m³ increase in its concentration of 7.40% (95%CI=5.31%-9.53%,P<0.001) for pediatric atopic dermatitis outpatient visits.Age stratification showed that children aged 0-3 years with atopic dermatitis were the most sensitive to CO,with an increased ER of 0.09% (95%CI=0.04%-0.15%,P<0.001) for every 10 μg/m³ increase in concentration,and children aged 7-14 years with atopic dermatitis were the most sensitive to O₃,with an increased ER of 8.26% (95%CI=4.99%-11.64%,P<0.001) for every 10 μg/m³ increase in concentration.Seasonal stratification showed that CO exerted a stronger effect on pediatric atopic dermatitis outpatient visits in summer and fall,with ER values of 0.45% and 0.16% (both P<0.001),respectively,while O₃ had a significant effect on outpatient visits in winter,with an ER value of 20.48% (P<0.001).Conclusion Elevated daily average concentrations of air pollutants CO and O₃ in Lanzhou were positively correlated with the number of outpatient visits for atopic dermatitis in children,with significant seasonal effects and age-stratified sensitivities.