Nkosi Vusumuzi, Wichmann Janine, Voyi Kuku
School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, P.O. Box 2034, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
Environ Health. 2015 Apr 3;14:33. doi: 10.1186/s12940-015-0018-7.
There is increasing evidence that environmental factors such as air pollution from mine dumps, increase the risk of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between proximity to mine dumps and prevalence of chronic respiratory disease in people aged 55 years and older.
Elderly persons in communities 1-2 km (exposed) and 5 km (unexposed), from five pre-selected mine dumps in Gauteng and North West Province, in South Africa were included in a cross-sectional study. Structured interviews were conducted with 2397 elderly people, using a previously validated ATS-DLD-78 questionnaire from the British Medical Research Council.
Exposed elderly persons had a significantly higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases than those who were unexposed., Results from the multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that living close to mine dumps was significantly associated with asthma (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.20 - 2.05), chronic bronchitis (OR = 1.74; 95 CI: 1.25 - 2.39), chronic cough (OR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.58 - 2.57), emphysema (OR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.11 - 2.77), pneumonia (OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.77) and wheeze (OR = 2.01; 95% CI: 1.73 - 2.54). Residing in exposed communities, current smoking, ex-smoking, use of paraffin as main residential cooking/heating fuel and low level of education emerged as independent significant risk factors for chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases.
This study suggests that there is a high level of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases among elderly people in communities located near to mine dumps in South Africa.
越来越多的证据表明，诸如矿渣堆空气污染等环境因素会增加慢性呼吸道症状和疾病的风险。本研究的目的是调查55岁及以上人群中，居住距离矿渣堆的远近与慢性呼吸道疾病患病率之间的关联。
在南非豪登省和西北省，从五个预先选定的矿渣堆周边1 - 2公里（暴露组）和5公里（非暴露组）的社区中选取老年人，纳入一项横断面研究。使用英国医学研究理事会先前验证过的ATS-DLD-78问卷，对2397名老年人进行了结构化访谈。
暴露组老年人慢性呼吸道症状和疾病的患病率显著高于非暴露组。多元逻辑回归分析结果表明，居住在靠近矿渣堆的地方与哮喘（比值比[OR]=1.57；95%置信区间[CI]：1.20 - 2.05）、慢性支气管炎（OR = 1.74；95% CI：1.25 - 2.39）、慢性咳嗽（OR = 2.02；95% CI：1.58 - 2.57）、肺气肿（OR = 1.75；95% CI：1.11 - 2.77）、肺炎（OR = 1.38；95% CI：1.07 - 1.77）和喘息（OR = 2.01；95% CI：1.73 - 2.54）显著相关。居住在暴露社区、当前吸烟、既往吸烟、使用石蜡作为主要家庭烹饪/取暖燃料以及低教育水平是慢性呼吸道症状和疾病的独立显著危险因素。
本研究表明，南非靠近矿渣堆的社区老年人中，慢性呼吸道症状和疾病的发生率很高。
