- Full (HTML) - PubMed:Related Articles - PubMed:Citation - Cited in PMC - Purchase This Issue

Pau-Chung Chen,¹ Yu-Min Lai,¹ Jung-Der Wang,¹ Chun-Yuh Yang,² Jing-Shiang Hwang,³ Hsien-Wen Kuo,⁴ Song-Lih Huang,⁵ and Chang-Chuan Chan¹

¹Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
²School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical College, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
³Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
⁴Institute of Environmental Health, China Medical College, Taichung, Taiwan
⁵Institute of Public Health/Department of Social Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract

This study is a part of the Study On Air Pollution and Health In Taiwan (SOAP&HIT) , an ongoing research project involving cooperation of several universities in Taiwan. In this study, the objective was to evaluate the effects of ambient air pollution on respiratory symptoms and diseases of school children, in addition to considering indoor air pollution. Six communities were selected: one community located in a rural area (Taihsi) , two in urban areas (Keelung and Sanchung) , and the other three in petrochemical industrial areas (Toufen, Jenwu, and Linyuan) . We sampled 5,072 primary school students in six communities from the main study population of SOAP&HIT. Respiratory health was assessed by evaluation of the children's respiratory symptoms and diseases using a parent-completed questionnaire. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis to compute odds ratios of adverse effect. The school children in the urban communities had significantly more respiratory symptoms (day or night cough, chronic cough, shortness of breath, and nasal symptoms) and diseases (sinusitis, wheezing or asthma, allergic rhinitis, and bronchitis) when compared with those living in the rural community. However, only nasal symptoms of children living in the petrochemical communities were more prevalent than in those living in the rural community. Although the association with ambient air pollution is suggestive, the cross-sectional study cannot confirm a causal relationship ; thus further studies are needed. Key words: air pollution, cross-sectional study, home dampness, respiratory health, school children. Environ Health Perspect106:331-335 (1998) . [Online 11 May 1998]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/106p331-335chen/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to C.-C. Chan, Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Section 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei, Taiwan.

This study was supported by grants from the National Science Council, The Executive Yuan, Taiwan (NSC-85-2621-P002-008 and NSC-85-2621-P002-024) .

Received 28 January 1997 ; accepted 5 March 1998.