Geographical information system and environmental epidemiology: a cross-sectional spatial analysis of the effects of traffic-related air pollution on population respiratory health

Environmental Health

Research

Daniela Nuvolone¹  Roberto Fresco²  Roberto della Maggiore²  Francesco Pistelli³  Sandra Baldacci³  Sara Maio³  Laura Carrozzi³  Giovanni Viegi⁴ 

[1] Epidemiology Unit, Regional Agency of Public Health of Tuscany (ARS), Via Pietro Dazzi 1, I-50141, Florence, Italy;Information Systems Technology Centre, Institute of Information Science and Technologies 'Alessandro Faedo', Italian National Research Council (ISTI-CNR), Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy;Information Systems Technology Centre, Institute of Information Science and Technologies 'Alessandro Faedo', Italian National Research Council (ISTI-CNR), Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy;Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Italian National Research Council (IFC-CNR), Via Trieste 41, I-56126, Pisa, Italy;Pulmonary Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Italian National Research Council (IFC-CNR), Via Trieste 41, I-56126, Pisa, Italy;Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology, Italian National Research Council (IBIM-CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, I-90146, Palermo, Italy;

关键词: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease;    Geographical Information System;    Main Road;    Total Suspended Particulate;    Lung Function Test;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1476-069X-10-12

 received in 2010-08-05, accepted in 2011-03-01,  发布年份 2011

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundTraffic-related air pollution is a potential risk factor for human respiratory health. A Geographical Information System (GIS) approach was used to examine whether distance from a main road (the Tosco-Romagnola road) affected respiratory health status.MethodsWe used data collected during an epidemiological survey performed in the Pisa-Cascina area (central Italy) in the period 1991-93. A total of 2841 subjects participated in the survey and filled out a standardized questionnaire on health status, socio-demographic information, and personal habits. A variable proportion of subjects performed lung function and allergy tests. Highly exposed subjects were defined as those living within 100 m of the main road, moderately exposed as those living between 100 and 250 m from the road, and unexposed as those living between 250 and 800 m from the road. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the risks for respiratory symptoms and diseases between exposed and unexposed. All analyses were stratified by gender.ResultsThe study comprised 2062 subjects: mean age was 45.9 years for men and 48.9 years for women. Compared to subjects living between 250 m and 800 m from the main road, subjects living within 100 m of the main road had increased adjusted risks for persistent wheeze (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.08-2.87), COPD diagnosis (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.03-3.08), and reduced FEV1/FVC ratio (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.11-3.87) among males, and for dyspnea (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.13-2.27), positivity to skin prick test (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.11-3.00), asthma diagnosis (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 0.97-2.88) and attacks of shortness of breath with wheeze (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 0.98-2.84) among females.ConclusionThis study points out the potential effects of traffic-related air pollution on respiratory health status, including lung function impairment. It also highlights the added value of GIS in environmental health research.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Nuvolone et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011