Exposure of Ambient PM2.5 and Acute Upper-and Lower Respiratory Infection in Children Under the Age of Five in South and Southeast Asia

Abstract

Studies on ambient PM2.5 exposure and AURI and ALRI in regions such as South and South-East Asia, where levels of PM2.5 are among the highest, are limited. We assessed the associations between ambient PM2.5 exposure and AURI and ALRI in children under the age of 5 years from South and Southeast Asia. We identified subjects from the demographic health survey (DHS). We retrieved PM2.5 information from the Atmospheric Compositional Analysis Group. Annual mean levels of PM2.5 ranged from 21.3 to 73.2 μg/m3. We performed the meta-analytical approach to obtain the pooled results. Our initial results show an association between ambient PM2.5 exposure and AURI (OR 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11) but not ALRI (OR 1.03, 95% CI: 0.98-1.09). However, after controlling for indoor SHS, effect estimates became stronger for AURI and ALRI (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.04-1.54 and OR 1.20, 95% CI: 1.00-1.44) compared to the uncontrolled group. Our study shows an association between ambient PM2.5 exposure and the prevalence of AURI and ALRI in children under the age of 5 years from South and Southeast Asia. Promoting awareness of air pollution in line with the implementation and monitoring of relevant policies is crucial in establishing clean air and health.