To investigate the correlation between environmental-meteorological factors and daily visits for acute otitis media (AOM) in Lanzhou, China.
Methods
Data were collected in 2014–2016 by the Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at two hospitals in Lanzhou. Relevant information, including age, sex and visiting time, was collected. Environmental data included air quality index, PM10, PM2.5, O
3
, CO, NO
2
and SO
2
, and meteorological data included daily average temperature (T, °C), daily mean atmospheric pressure (AP, hPa), daily average relative humidity (RH, %) and daily mean wind speed (W, m/s). The SPSS22.0 software was used to generate Spearman correlation coefficients in descriptive statistical analysis, and the R3.5.0 software was used to calculate relative risk (RR) and to obtain exposure-response curves. The relationship between meteorological-environmental parameters and daily AOM visits was summarized.
Results
Correlations were identified between daily AOM visits and CO, O
3
, SO
2
, CO, NO
2
, PM2.5 and PM10 levels. NO
2
, SO
2
, CO, AP, RH and T levels significantly correlated with daily AOM visits with a lag exposure-response pattern. The effects of CO, NO
2
, SO
2
and AP on daily AOM visits were significantly stronger compared to other factors (P < 0.01). O
3
, W, T and RH were negatively correlated with daily AOM visits. The highest RR lagged by 3–4 days.
Conclusions
The number of daily AOM visits appeared to be correlated with short-term exposure to mixed air pollutants and meteorological factors from 2014 through 2016 in Lanzhou.