Peled R, Friger M, Bolotin A, Bibi H, Epstein L, Pilpel D, Scharf S
Epidemiology Research Institute, Barzilai Medical Center, 78306 Ashkelon, Israel.
Public Health. 2005 May;119(5):418-25. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2004.05.023.
Fine particles are thought to pose a risk to health, especially for vulnerable groups such as children with asthma. These children are also known to be affected by meteorological and seasonal changes. We assessed the association between air pollution and lung function via peak expiratory flow (PEF), controlling for seasonal changes, meteorological conditions and personal physiological, clinical and sociodemographic measurements, in a panel of schoolchildren with asthma living near two power plants in Israel. Two hundred and eighty-five children with confirmed asthma performed PEF tests and completed a respiratory symptoms diary twice a day. Particulate matter <10 microm in diameter (PM10), particulate matter <2.5 microm in diameter (PM2.5) and meteorological conditions were measured at six fixed stations. Data were analysed using time series analysis-generalized linear model and generalized estimating equations. The models were built under the assumption that any health outcome belongs to a multivariate hierarchical system and depends on meteorological, geophysical and sociocultural variables and pollution factors. No significant differences were found in the demographic (age, gender, mean parental education level, parental smoking habits, place of birth and housing density), physiological (body mass index) and clinical factors (illness severity) between the communities participating in the study. A significant direct effect of PM2.5 on the PEF was found in Ashdod (P=0.000). In Sderot, this effect was through an interaction between PM10 and the sequential day of the year (P=0.000). The main conclusion of this study is that children with asthma are at risk from air pollution and geophysical conditions. Policy makers should take these results into consideration when setting thresholds for environmental protection.
细颗粒物被认为会对健康构成风险，尤其是对哮喘儿童等弱势群体。众所周知，这些儿童也会受到气象和季节变化的影响。我们通过呼气峰值流速（PEF）评估空气污染与肺功能之间的关联，同时控制季节变化、气象条件以及个人生理、临床和社会人口学测量因素，研究对象为以色列两座发电厂附近的一组哮喘学童。285名确诊哮喘儿童每天进行两次PEF测试，并完成呼吸症状日记。在六个固定站点测量直径小于10微米的颗粒物（PM10）、直径小于2.5微米的颗粒物（PM2.5）和气象条件。使用时间序列分析——广义线性模型和广义估计方程对数据进行分析。模型构建基于这样的假设：任何健康结果都属于一个多变量层次系统，并且取决于气象、地球物理和社会文化变量以及污染因素。参与研究的社区在人口统计学（年龄、性别、父母平均教育水平、父母吸烟习惯、出生地和住房密度）、生理（体重指数）和临床因素（疾病严重程度）方面未发现显著差异。在阿什杜德发现PM2.5对PEF有显著直接影响（P = 0.000）。在斯德洛特，这种影响是通过PM10与一年中的连续日期之间的相互作用产生的（P = 0.000）。本研究的主要结论是，哮喘儿童面临空气污染和地球物理条件带来的风险。政策制定者在设定环境保护阈值时应考虑这些结果。
