Source-specific contributions of particulate matter to asthma-related pediatric emergency department utilization

In this study, we estimated the contributions of sources of PM2.5 and examined their association with daily asthma hospital utilization in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. We used a model-based clustering method to group days with similar source-specific contributions into six distinct clusters. Specifically, elevated PM2.5 concentrations occurring on days characterized by low coal combustion contributions showed a significantly reduced risk of hospital utilization for asthma (rate ratio: 0.86, 95% CI: [0.77, 0.95]) compared to other clusters. Reducing coal combustion contribution to PM2.5 levels could be an effective intervention for lowering asthma-related hospital utilization.
Source: Health Information Science and Systems - Category: Information Technology Source Type: research