Effects of air pollution on respiratory health of adults in three Chinese cities

The authors examined potential associations between air-pollution exposures and respiratory symptoms and illnesses of 4 108 adults who resided in 4 di stricts of 3 large, distinct Chinese cities. Data on respiratory health out comes and relevant risk factors for parents and children were obtained via standardized questionnaires in the winter of 1988. (The effects in children were described previously.) The yearly averages of ambient levels of total suspended particles in the 4 districts for the years 1985-1988 differed gr eatly. The authors constructed logistic-regression models to assess the res piratory health parameters of parents of the children. The results revealed significant and strong effects, by district, on prevalence rates of cough, phlegm, persistent cough and phlegm, and wheeze for both the mothers and t he fathers. In addition, the odds ratios increased as ambient total suspend ed particle concentration increased across the 3 urban districts. Other loc al within-city risk factors, however, may have confounded the total suspend ed particles-effects association, especially for asthma prevalence. Finding s for adults were similar to those found for their children. A strong adver se effect of active tobacco smoking on the fathers' respiratory health was observed. The children appeared to be more strongly affected by passive smo king exposure received in their homes than their mothers.