Annals of Epidemiology
Volume 15, Issue 3 , Pages 214-218, March 2005

Does Socio-demographic Status Influence the Effect of Pollens and Molds on Hospitalization for Asthma? Results from a Time-series Study in 10 Canadian Cities

  • Sabit Cakmak, PhD
    • ,
  • Robert E. Dales, MD, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Dr. Robert Dales, The Ottawa Hospital (General Campus), 501 Smyth Road, Box 211, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6, Canada. Tel.: (613) 737-8198; Fax: (613) 739-6266.
    • ,
  • Stan Judek, MSc
    • ,
  • Frances Coates, MLT

From the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (S.C.), Department of Air Health Effects (R.E.D, S.J.), Health Canada, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (R.E.D.); and Aerobiology Research Laboratories, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (F.C.)

Received 30 January 2004; accepted 7 June 2004. published online 24 August 2004.

Purpose

Social status influences asthma morbidity but the mechanisms are not well understood. To determine if sociodemographics influence the susceptibility to ambient aeroallergens, we determined the association between daily hospitalizations for asthma and daily concentrations of ambient pollens and molds in 10 large Canadian cities.

Methods

Daily time-series analyses were performed and results were adjusted for day of the week, temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Results were then stratified by age, gender, and neighborhood family education and income.

Results

There appeared to be age and gender interactions in the relation between aeroallergens and asthma. An increase in basidiomycetes equivalent to its mean value, about 300/m3, increased asthma admissions for younger males (under 13 years of age) by 9.3% (95% CI, 4.8%, 13.8%) vs. 4.2% (95% CI, − 0.1%, 8.5%) for older males. The reverse was true among females with increased effect in the older age group: 2.3% (95% CI, 1.2%, 5.8%) in those under 13 years vs. 7.1% (95% CI, 4.1%, 10.1%) for older females. Associations were seen between aeroallergens and asthma hospitalization in the lowest but not the highest education group.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that younger males and those within less educated families may be more vulnerable to aeroallergens as reflected by hospitalization for asthma.

Key words: Asthma, Social Studies, Pollen, Fungus

Selected Abbreviations and Acronyms: SES, socio-economic status, CIHI, Canadian Institute for Health Information, ICD-9, International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, SO2, sulfur dioxide, NO2, nitrogen dioxide, CO, carbon monoxide, O3, ozone, PM10, particulate matter less than ten microns in mean aerodynamic diameter, SO4, sulfate, EA, enumeration area, AIC, Akaike's Information Criteria, COH, coefficient of haze

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PII: S1047-2797(04)00122-X

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2004.06.001

Annals of Epidemiology
Volume 15, Issue 3 , Pages 214-218, March 2005

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