Association between short-term ozone exposure and allergic conjunctivitis in China: A multi-city case-crossover study

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Ophthalmology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Short-term ozone exposure is linked to allergic diseases, but its impact on allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is not well-established.
• Allergic conjunctivitis is a common ocular surface disorder with significant public health implications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between short-term ozone exposure and the risk of allergic conjunctivitis (AC).
• To provide evidence for the role of air pollution in the development of ocular surface disorders.

Main Methods:

• A time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted in five Chinese cities between 2014 and 2022.
• Outpatient visit records for AC (ICD-10 code H10.1) and daily air pollution/meteorological data were collected.
• Conditional logistic regression and random-effects meta-analysis were used to assess the AC-ozone association.

Main Results:

• A total of 130,093 AC outpatient visits were recorded during the study period.
• A one-standard deviation increase in daily ozone concentration was associated with an 8.3% increase in AC outpatient visits.
• The positive association between ozone and AC risk remained consistent after adjusting for other pollutants and meteorological factors.

Conclusions:

• Short-term exposure to ozone is positively associated with an increased risk of allergic conjunctivitis in China.
• Mitigating ozone pollution may be a valuable strategy for reducing the incidence of ocular surface disorders.
• Further research into air pollution's impact on eye health is warranted.