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Dong TF, Sun WQ, Li XY, Sun L, Li HB, Liu LL, Wang Y, Wang HL, Yang LS, Zha ZQ. Short-term associations between ambient PM 1, PM 2.5, and PM 10 and hospital admissions, length of hospital stays, and hospital expenses for patients with cardiovascular diseases in rural areas of Fuyang, East China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024:1-13. [PMID: 39041841 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2024.2380353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Evidence on the impacts of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 on the hospital admissions, length of hospital stays (LOS), and hospital expenses among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still limited in China, especially in rural areas. This study was performed in eight counties of Fuyang from 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2017. We use a three-stage time-series analysis to explore the effects of short-term exposure to PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 on hospital admissions, LOS, and hospital expenses for CVDs. An increment of 10 ug/m3 in PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 corresponded to an increment of 1.82% (95% CI: 1.34, 2.30), 0.96% (95% CI: 0.44, 1.48), and 0.79% (95% CI: 0.63%, 0.95%) in CVD hospital admissions, respectively. We observed that daily concentrations of PMs were associated with an increase in hospital admissions, LOS, and expenses for CVDs. Sustained endeavors are required to reduce air pollution so as to attenuate disease burdens from CVDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng-Fei Dong
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wan-Qi Sun
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xing-Yang Li
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Fuyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuyang, Anhui, China
| | - Huai-Biao Li
- Fuyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuyang, Anhui, China
| | - Ling-Li Liu
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuan- Wang
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hong-Li Wang
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Lin-Sheng Yang
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhen-Qiu Zha
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, Anhui, China
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Khoshakhlagh AH, Mohammadzadeh M, Gruszecka-Kosowska A, Oikonomou E. Burden of cardiovascular disease attributed to air pollution: a systematic review. Global Health 2024; 20:37. [PMID: 38702798 PMCID: PMC11069222 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-024-01040-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are estimated to be the leading cause of global death. Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to public health worldwide. It is considered a potentially modifiable environmental risk factor for CVDs because it can be prevented by adopting the right national and international policies. The present study was conducted to synthesize the results of existing studies on the burden of CVDs attributed to air pollution, namely prevalence, hospitalization, disability, mortality, and cost characteristics. METHODS A systematic search was performed in the Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases to identify studies, without time limitations, up to June 13, 2023. Exclusion criteria included prenatal exposure, exposure to indoor air pollution, review studies, conferences, books, letters to editors, and animal and laboratory studies. The quality of the articles was evaluated based on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Assessment Form, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and Drummond Criteria using a self-established scale. The articles that achieved categories A and B were included in the study. RESULTS Of the 566 studies obtained, based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 92 studies were defined as eligible in the present systematic review. The results of these investigations supported that chronic exposure to various concentrations of air pollutants, increased the prevalence, hospitalization, disability, mortality, and costs of CVDs attributed to air pollution, even at relatively low levels. According to the results, the main pollutant investigated closely associated with hypertension was PM2.5. Furthermore, the global DALY related to stroke during 2016-2019 has increased by 1.8 times and hospitalization related to CVDs in 2023 has increased by 8.5 times compared to 2014. CONCLUSION Ambient air pollution is an underestimated but significant and modifiable contributor to CVDs burden and public health costs. This should not only be considered an environmental problem but also as an important risk factor for a significant increase in CVD cases and mortality. The findings of the systematic review highlighted the opportunity to apply more preventive measures in the public health sector to reduce the footprint of CVDs in human society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Hossein Khoshakhlagh
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mahdiyeh Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Climate Change and Health Research Center (CCHRC), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska
- AGH University of Krakow, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Department of Environmental Protection, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Krakow, Poland
| | - Evangelos Oikonomou
- Department of Cardiology, 'Sotiria' General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
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Zhang Y, Hu M, Xiang B, Yu H, Wang Q. Urban-rural disparities in the association of nitrogen dioxide exposure with cardiovascular disease risk in China: effect size and economic burden. Int J Equity Health 2024; 23:22. [PMID: 38321458 PMCID: PMC10845777 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-024-02117-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Together with rapid urbanization, ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure has become a growing health threat. However, little is known about the urban-rural disparities in the health implications of short-term NO2 exposure. This study aimed to compare the association between short-term NO2 exposure and hospitalization for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among urban and rural residents in Shandong Province, China. Then, this study further explored the urban-rural disparities in the economic burden attributed to NO2 and the explanation for the disparities. METHODS Daily hospitalization data were obtained from an electronic medical records dataset covering a population of 5 million. In total, 303,217 hospital admissions for CVD were analyzed. A three-stage time-series analytic approach was used to estimate the county-level association and the attributed economic burden. RESULTS For every 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 concentrations, this study observed a significant percentage increase in hospital admissions on the day of exposure of 1.42% (95% CI 0.92 to 1.92%) for CVD. The effect size was slightly higher in urban areas, while the urban-rural difference was not significant. However, a more pronounced displacement phenomenon was found in rural areas, and the economic burden attributed to NO2 was significantly higher in urban areas. At an annual average NO2 concentration of 10 μg/m3, total hospital days and expenses in urban areas were reduced by 81,801 (44,831 to 118,191) days and 60,121 (33,002 to 86,729) thousand CNY, respectively, almost twice as much as in rural areas. Due to disadvantages in socioeconomic status and medical resources, despite similar air pollution levels in the urban and rural areas of our sample sites, the rural population tended to spend less on hospitalization services. CONCLUSIONS Short-term exposure to ambient NO2 could lead to considerable health impacts in either urban or rural areas of Shandong Province, China. Moreover, urban-rural differences in socioeconomic status and medical resources contributed to the urban-rural disparities in the economic burden attributed to NO2 exposure. The health implications of NO2 exposure are a social problem in addition to an environmental problem. Thus, this study suggests a coordinated intervention system that targets environmental and social inequality factors simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yike Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- National Institute of Health Data Science of China, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Mengxiao Hu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- National Institute of Health Data Science of China, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Bowen Xiang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- National Institute of Health Data Science of China, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Haiyang Yu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
- National Institute of Health Data Science of China, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
- National Institute of Health Data Science of China, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
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Wang H, Qian G, Shi J, Lu W, Chen Y, Fang K, Shen Y, Rong H, Huangfu X, Feng Y, Zhang W, Zhang K. Association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and upper respiratory tract infection in Kunshan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2024; 68:189-197. [PMID: 38032509 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-023-02582-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The health effects of air pollution have become a major public health problem. Studies on the relationship between short-term exposure to air pollutants and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) related clinic visits and expenditures were scarce. From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, we included all the URTI cases that turned to 11 public hospitals in Kunshan, and summarized individual medical cost. Daily meteorological factors and 24-h mean concentrations of four common air pollutants, including particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and 10 μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), were consecutively recorded. Generalized additive regression model was adopted to quantify the associations between each air pollutant and the daily clinic visits of URTI cases. We further calculated attributable number (AN) and attributable fraction, and performed sensitivity analysis by gender, age, and season. A total of 934,180 cases were retrieved during the study period. PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 showed significant associations with hospital visits and expenditures due to URTI. Relative risks for them were 1.065 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.055, 1.076), 1.045 (95% CI 1.037, 1.052), 1.098 (95% CI 1.038, 1.163), and 1.098 (95% CI 1.085, 1.111) on lag 0-5 days, respectively. Thirty-one thousand four hundred fifty-five (95% CI 27,457, 35,436) cases could be ascribed to increased NO2 and accounted for 3.37% (95% CI 2.94%, 3.79%) of all clinic visits. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the effects of air pollution were generally consistent for male and female. PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 had stronger associations among people aged ≤ 18 years, followed by those aged 19-64 years and ≥ 65 years. The association strengths of air pollution varied seasonally. Short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants had significant associations with clinic visits and expenditures owing to URTI. Children and adolescents appeared to be more susceptible to adverse health effects of air pollution. NO2 may be a priority when formulating pollution control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wang
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guohua Qian
- Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jian Shi
- Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wenjie Lu
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yingchao Chen
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Kun Fang
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yang Shen
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Huan Rong
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xuanhua Huangfu
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yan Feng
- Public Health Division, The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Public Health Division, Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Kexun Zhang
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Kunshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tongcheng South Road 567, Kunshan, 215300, Jiangsu Province, China.
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5
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Shen F, Niu M, Chen H, Zhang T, Li J, Tong H, Wu Y. Nonlinear proinflammatory effect of short-term PM 2.5 exposure: A potential role of lipopolysaccharide. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 136:292-300. [PMID: 37923439 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The association between PM2.5 (particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm) short-term exposure and its health effect is non-linear from the epidemiological studies. And this nonlinearity is suggested to be related with the PM2.5 heterogeneity, however, the underlying biological mechanism is still unclear. Here, a total of 38 PM2.5 filters were collected continuously for three weeks in winter Beijing, with the ambient PM2.5 varying between 10 and 270 µg/m3. Human monocytes-derived macrophages (THP-1) were treated with PM2.5 water-soluble elutes at 10 µg/mL to investigate the PM2.5 short-term exposure effect from a proinflammatory perspective. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) induced by the PM2.5 elutes at equal concentrations were unequal, showing the heterogeneity of PM2.5 proinflammatory potentials. Of the various chemical and biological components, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed a strong positive association with the TNF heterogeneity. However, some outliers were observed among the TNF-LPS association. Specifically, for PM2.5 from relatively clean air episodes, the higher LPS amount corresponded to relatively low TNF levels. And this phenomenon was also observed in the promotion tests by treating macrophages with PM2.5 elutes dosed with additional trace LPS. Gene expression analysis indicated the involvement of oxidative-stress related genes in the LPS signaling pathway. Therefore, a potential oxidative-stress-mediated suppression on the PM2.5-borne LPS proinflammatory effect was proposed to be accounted for the outliers. Overall, the results showed the differential role of LPS in the heterogeneity of PM2.5 proinflammatory effects from a component-based perspective. Future experimental studies are needed to elucidate the signaling pathway of LPS attached on PM2.5 from different air quality episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangxia Shen
- School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Mutong Niu
- School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Haoxuan Chen
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haijie Tong
- Institute of Surface Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht 21502, Germany
| | - Yan Wu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
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Ma Y, Jiang Y, Guo T, Wang J, Chen L, Wei C, Ni X, Deng F, Guo X, Wu S. Short-term exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide and increased hospitalization burden for depression in China: a multicity analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:40-49. [PMID: 36153821 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2126828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Evidence for the increased hospitalization burden, including admissions, expenditures and length of hospital stay (LOS) for depression attributable to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is lacking. We investigated the associations between short-term exposure to ambient NO2 and attributable admissions, hospitalization expenditures and LOS for depression in 57 Chinese cities during 2013-2017 using a well-established two-stage time-series study approach. Short-term exposure to ambient NO2 was associated with significantly increased admissions, hospitalization expenditures and LOS for depression, and the attributable fractions were 6.87% (95% CI: 2.90%, 10.65%), 7.12% (3.01%, 11.04%) and 6.12% (2.59%, 9.50%) at lag02, respectively. The projected total attributable admissions, hospitalization expenditures and LOS for depression related to ambient NO2 at the national level were 23,335 (9,863, 36,181) admissions, 318.70 (134.43, 492.21) million CNY and 539.55 (227.99, 836.99) thousand days during the study period, respectively. Short-term exposure to ambient NO2 is associated with increased hospitalization burden for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Ma
- Institute of Social Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yunxing Jiang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory for Disease Prevention and Control and Health Promotion of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases in Ministry of Health, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tongjun Guo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinxi Wang
- Shanghai Songsheng Business Consulting Co. Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Libo Chen
- Beijing HealthCom Data Technology Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Wei
- Beijing HealthCom Data Technology Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoli Ni
- Institute of Social Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Furong Deng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinbiao Guo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaowei Wu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory for Disease Prevention and Control and Health Promotion of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases in Ministry of Health, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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7
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Dong TF, Zha ZQ, Sun L, Liu LL, Li XY, Wang Y, Meng XL, Li HB, Wang HL, Nie HH, Yang LS. Ambient nitrogen dioxide and cardiovascular diseases in rural regions: a time-series analyses using data from the new rural cooperative medical scheme in Fuyang, East China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:51412-51421. [PMID: 36809617 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25922-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Most of studies relating ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure to hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) were conducted among urban population. Whether and to what extent these results could be generalizable to rural population remains unknown. We addressed this question using data from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) in Fuyang, Anhui, China. Daily hospital admissions for total CVDs, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, heart rhythm disturbances, ischaemic stroke, and haemorrhagic stroke in rural regions of Fuyang, China, were extracted from NRCMS between January 2015 and June 2017. A two-stage time-series analysis method was used to assess the associations between NO2 and CVD hospital admissions and the disease burden fractions attributable to NO2. In our study period, the average number (standard deviation) of hospital admissions per day were 488.2 (117.1) for total CVDs, 179.8 (45.6) for ischaemic heart disease, 7.0 (3.3) for heart rhythm disturbances, 13.2 (7.2) for heart failure, 267.9 (67.7) for ischaemic stroke, and 20.2 (6.4) for haemorrhagic stroke. The 10-μg/m3 increase of NO2 was related to an elevated risk of 1.9% (RR: 1.019, 95% CI: 1.005 to 1.032) for hospital admissions of total CVDs at lag0-2 days, 2.1% (1.021, 1.006 to 1.036) for ischaemic heart disease, and 2.1% (1.021, 1.006 to 1.035) for ischaemic stroke, respectively, while no significant association was observed between NO2 and hospital admissions for heart rhythm disturbances, heart failure, and haemorrhagic stroke. The attributable fractions of total CVDs, ischaemic heart disease, and ischaemic stroke to NO2 were 6.52% (1.87 to 10.94%), 7.31% (2.19 to 12.17%), and 7.12% (2.14 to 11.85%), respectively. Our findings suggest that CVD burdens in rural population are also partly attributed to short-term exposure to NO2. More studies across rural regions are required to replicate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng-Fei Dong
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Zhen-Qiu Zha
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Fuyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuyang, 236069, Anhui, China
| | - Ling-Li Liu
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xing-Yang Li
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiang-Long Meng
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Huai-Biao Li
- Fuyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuyang, 236069, Anhui, China
| | - Hong-Li Wang
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Huan-Huan Nie
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Lin-Sheng Yang
- School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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8
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Weng Z, Tong D, Wu S, Xie Y. Improved air quality from China's clean air actions alleviates health expenditure inequality. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 173:107831. [PMID: 36805809 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Clean air actions aimed at improving air quality in China have brought about significant health benefits, thereby generating substantial savings in air-pollution-related healthcare spending. Yet, uneven regional air quality improvements and economic developments may alter existing inequality in health expenditures in the context of scarce healthcare resources. Here, we developed an econometric model that resolves individual characteristics at the city level to examine the disparity of public health expenditures in air quality improvements across regions differing in economic development and healthcare coverages and projected a range of future health expenditure savings under different air quality targets. We find that of the estimation on four air-pollution-related diseases (COPD, LRI, IHD, and stroke) in 98 cities over the year 2015-2017, a decline of 8.26 % in average hospitalization days and 10.21 % in hospitalization expenses was achieved, leading to a reduction of 8.09 % in total health expenditures as the implementation of clean air actions. Improved air quality has declined health expenditure inequality in low-middle cities and cities with imbalanced healthcare coverage. For example, the total expenses for the four diseases declined significantly in the low (-11.31 %) and medium (-7.34 %) per capita GDP groups, as well as a remarkable decline in the fewer medical resources. Health savings in some future scenarios are significant, showing substantial health expenditure savings under different air quality targets, but the savings will be greatly offset by an aging society. For example, In the Low-Level Improvement Pathway of air quality targets with aging (LLIPA scenario), health expenditure savings will be about 3537, 464, and 311 million CNY in the eastern, central, and western regions in 2035, respectively. Our findings thus highlight the importance of strengthening air pollution control policies and considering the equality of alleviating regional public health costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiong Weng
- Institute of Circular Economy, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Tong
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaowei Wu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Xie
- School of Economics and Management, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China; Laboratory for Low-carbon Intelligent Governance, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China.
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Ai H, Tan X, Xia Z. The Effects of Environmental Regulations on Medical Expenses: Evidence from China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:7567. [PMID: 35805224 PMCID: PMC9266017 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we examine the effects of a special period regulation (SPR), implemented in the Chang-Zhu-Tan (Changsha City, Zhuzhou City, and Xiangtan City; CZT) region, regarding medical expenses paid by the Urban and Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI) and Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) programs, using a difference-in-differences (DID) design. We find that the SPR significantly reduces medical expenses in the CZT region, which appears to be driven by improved air quality. Furthermore, this regulation has a significantly negative and positive impact on medical expenses paid by the UURBMI and UEBMI, respectively. In summary, our results provide empirical evidence for the orderly implementation of command-and-control environmental regulation policies from the perspective of health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongshan Ai
- School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Changsha 410079, China;
| | - Xiaoqing Tan
- School of Economics and Trade, Hunan University, Changsha 410079, China;
| | - Zhen Xia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China;
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Chen L, Wang X, Qian ZM, Sun L, Qin L, Wang C, Howard SW, Aaron HE, Lin H. Ambient gaseous pollutants and emergency ambulance calls for all-cause and cause-specific diseases in China: a multicity time-series study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:28527-28537. [PMID: 34988821 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-18337-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Much attention has been paid to the health effects of ambient particulate matter pollution; the effects of gaseous air pollutants have not been well studied. Emergency ambulance calls (EACs) may provide a better indicator of the acute health effects than the widely used health indicators, such as mortality and hospital admission. We estimated the short-term associations between gaseous air pollutants [nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3)] and EACs for all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases in seven Chinese cities from 2014 to 2019. We used generalized additive models and random-effects meta-analysis to examine the city-specific and pooled associations. Stratified analyses were conducted by age, sex, and season. A total of 1,626,017 EACs were observed for all-cause EACs, including 230,537 from cardiovascular diseases, and 96,483 from respiratory diseases. Statistically significant associations were observed between NO2 and EACs for all-cause diseases, while the effects of SO2 were positive, but not statistically significant in most models. No significant relationship was found between O3 and EACs. Specifically, each 10 μg/m3 increase in the 2-day moving average concentration of NO2 was associated with a 1.07% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.40%, 1.76%], 0.76% (95% CI: 0.19%, 1.34%) and 0.06% (95% CI: -1.57%, 1.73%) increase in EACs due to all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, respectively. Stratified analysis showed a larger effect of NO2 on all-cause EACs in the cold season [excess relative risk (ERR): 0.33% (95% CI: 0.05%, 0.60%) for warm season, ERR: 0.77% (95% CI: 0.31%, 1.23%) for cold season]. Our study indicates that acute exposures to NO2 might be an important trigger of the emergent occurrence of all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and this effect should be of particular concern in the cold season. Further policy development for controlling gaseous air pollution is warranted to reduce the emergent occurrence of cardiopulmonary diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xiaojie Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhengmin Min Qian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Liwen Sun
- Huairou District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 101400, China
| | - Lijie Qin
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Chongjian Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Steven W Howard
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Hannah E Aaron
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Hualiang Lin
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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