Unit of Epidemiology & Medical Statistics, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
Sci Total Environ. 2011 Dec 1;410-411:80-6. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.09.078. Epub 2011 Oct 20.
Exposure to air pollutants emitted by wood industries has been associated with increased prevalence of respiratory and irritation symptoms.
To study whether proximity to wood industries was associated with risk of hospitalization for respiratory diseases in children.
In December 2006, the large majority of the children (3-14 years) living in the Viadana district (Northern Italy) were surveyed through a parental questionnaire (n=3854). Hospital discharge records for respiratory diseases (2002-2006) were obtained from the local Health Unit. The children were geocoded and the distance from their home/school to the wood industries was used as exposure indicator. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between the distance and hospitalizations.
The hospitalization rates for respiratory diseases increased with proximity to the wood industries: they were 7.55 (95% CI 5.58, 10.22) ×1000 person-year for those who lived far from any wood industry, 11.84 (95% CI 8.87, 15.81) ×1000 person-year for those <2km from the small wood factories and 16.61 (95% CI: 13.57, 20.33) ×1000 person-year for those living within 2km from the two big chipboard industries.
Proximity to wood industries is associated with a higher risk of hospitalization for respiratory diseases and respiratory symptoms in children. Studies with direct measures of exposure are needed and a follow-up of exposed population is advisable.
木材工业排放的空气污染物与呼吸道和刺激症状的发病率增加有关。
研究接近木材工业是否与儿童呼吸道疾病住院风险相关。
2006 年 12 月，意大利北部维亚达纳区（Viadana district）的绝大多数儿童（3-14 岁）通过家长问卷调查（n=3854）进行了调查。从当地卫生部门获得了 2002-2006 年呼吸道疾病的住院记录。对儿童进行地理编码，并将其家庭/学校到木材工业的距离用作暴露指标。使用泊松回归模型评估距离与住院之间的关联。
随着接近木材工业，呼吸道疾病的住院率增加：远离任何木材工业的儿童为 7.55（95%置信区间：5.58,10.22）×1000 人年，距离小型木材工厂<2km 的儿童为 11.84（95%置信区间：8.87,15.81）×1000 人年，距离两家大型刨花板工厂<2km 的儿童为 16.61（95%置信区间：13.57,20.33）×1000 人年。
接近木材工业与儿童呼吸道疾病和呼吸道症状住院风险增加相关。需要进行直接暴露测量的研究，并建议对暴露人群进行随访。
