title: Association of geographical distribution of air quality index and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Isfahan, Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Air pollution is a hazardous environmental problem with several adverse health effects including its impact on the development of chronic diseases as diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the association of geographical distribution of air quality index (AQI) and type 2 diabetes mellitus in an air-polluted city by using geographic information system (GIS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted in Isfahan, Iran. The records that have been registered from 2009 to 2012 in major referral public diabetes clinics were gathered; they included data of 1467 diabetic patients. Their living area was represented with spots in the city map. AQI data were also interpolated from monitoring stations spreading around the city. The GIS maps of air pollutants and diabetes were developed and the associations were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The density of diabetic population was higher in highly polluted areas compared with areas with the lower levels of air pollution. No significant correlation was documented between the distribution of diabetic patients and air pollution level throughout the city.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the density of diabetic patients was higher in areas with higher air pollution, but the lack of association between AQI and the prevalence of diabetes might be because the air of different parts of the city was highly polluted, and we could not compare the prevalence of diabetes in areas with clean and polluted air.
authors.affiliation: Azadeh Tahmasebi, Environmental Health Engineering Department, Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tahmasebi
authors.affiliation: Mohammad Mehdi Amin, Environmental Health Engineering Department, Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Parinaz Poursafa, Environmental Health Engineering Department, Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Parinaz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poursafa
authors.affiliation: Bijan Iraj, Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Iraj
authors.affiliation: Hamidreza Sadeghiyan, Pediatrics Department, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primary Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sadeghiyan
authors.affiliation: Roya Kelishadi, Pediatrics Department, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primary Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kelishadi
authors.affiliation: Babak Sadeghian, Isfahan Department of Environment.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sadeghian
keywords: Air pollution; Diabetes mellitus; Geographic distribution