TITLE:
The Effect of Air Pollutants and Socioeconomic Status on Asthma in Texas
AUTHORS:
Faye Anderson, George L. Delclos, D. C. Rao
KEYWORDS:
Children Asthma, Respiratory, CO, NO2, PM2.5, Ozone, SO2
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.4 No.9,
September
19,
2016
ABSTRACT: Asthma
prevalence in the United States and the world has been increasing, affecting
millions including children (0 - 17 years old) and causing thousands of deaths
every year at a societal cost of over billions of dollars. Further, it has been
documented that asthma morbidity responds to socioeconomic variations. This
study evaluates the relationship between asthma and five air pollutants along
with socioeconomic status in Texas counties from 2005 to 2013. Air pollutants
investigated were carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
ozone (O3), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
Exploratory and spatial analyses produced consistent results. Asthma prevalence
was positively associated with PM2.5, SO2, living near a park, and
living in an urban area. Asthma childhood prevalence rates were positively
associated with living in a household with a female head and negatively
associated with ethnicity: Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American. Adult
prevalence rates were positively associated with living in a household with
female head, being on food stamps, and PM2.5. Both the overall and adult rates
were positively associated with poverty. Asthma hospitalizations in Texas were
positively associated with aerosol particles, sulfur dioxide, and low income.
Moreover, the majority of air pollution in Texas is formed by stationary
sources, which contradicts recent claims that mobile sources are the main
emitters in Texas. Our findings are consistent with those from other
geographical locations and suggest that additional studies and measures are
required to fully explain the associations detected and underlying cause and
effect paradigm.