title: The relationship of ambient ozone and PM(2.5) levels and asthma emergency department visits: possible influence of gender and ethnicity.
abstract: ABSTRACT   An investigation of the relationship of air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits for asthma was an opportunity to assess environmental risks for asthma exacerbations in an urban population. A total of 6,979 individuals with a primary discharge diagnosis of asthma presented to 1 of 6 EDs in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area between 2002 and 2005. Using a case-crossover methodology, which controls for the effects of subject-specific covariates such as gender and race, a 2.5% increase was observed in asthma ED visits for each 10 ppb increase in the 1-hour maximum ozone level on day 2 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.025, p < .05). Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM(2.5)) had an effect both on the total population on day 1 after exposure (1.036, p < .05), and on African Americans on days 1, 2, and 3. PM(2.5) had no significant effect on Caucasian Americans alone. The disparity in risk estimates by race may reflect differences in residential characteristics, exposure to ambient air pollution, or a differential effect of pollution by race.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA.
authors.forename: Jo Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Glad
authors.forename: LuAnn Lynn
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Brink
authors.forename: Evelyn O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Talbott
authors.forename: Pei Chen
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saul
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rager
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010126:Ozone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D010126:Ozone