Effects of Meteorological Variation and Air Pollution on Pediatric Allergic Visits: A retrospective study

Abstract

Abstract Background: The health of children can be seriously affected by adverse weather conditions and high levels of air pollution. However, it is not clear how different environmental exposures affect allergic diseases in children in different regions. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of meteorological factors and air pollutants on allergic diseases in children in Wuxi, China. Objectives: The objective of this research was to measure and compare the influence of meteorological conditions and air pollutants on allergic illnesses among children residing in Wuxi, China. Methods: The study collected data on children who visited Wuxi Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2023 due to asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD). Meteorological data, including daily average temperature, air pressure, precipitation, relative humidity, and wind speed, were obtained from the China Meteorological Data website. Air pollution data, such as PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3, were downloaded from China National Environmental Monitoring Station. The paper used a combination of quasi-Poisson regression and distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM), as well as Poisson regression and generalized linear model, to assess the impact of meteorological factors and air pollutants on allergic diseases among children in Wuxi. Results: The study reported a total of 10,099 cases of asthma, 15,209 cases of AR, and 59,440 cases of AD. The findings suggest that most environmental factors were significantly associated with childhood allergic diseases. Among them, mean daily temperature (standard β: 0.017 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.013, 0.021)) and wind speed (standard β: 0.029 (95% CI: 0, 0.058)) were found to play a more important role in the development of these allergic diseases than other environmental factors. Conclusions: The relationship between climate change and air pollution and their impact on allergic diseases in children has been studied. The research suggests that while both factors are linked to allergic diseases, climate factors have a greater influence on their development. These findings have significant implications for the development of prevention strategies for allergic diseases in children.