Estimating the Public Health Impact of Air Pollution for Informing Policy in the Twin Cities: A Minnesota Tracking Collaboration
| Autor: | Paula Lindgren, Jeannette M. Sample, Dorian L. Kvale, David L. Bael, Jean E. Johnson |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
medicine.medical_specialty 030111 toxicology Health Policy Mortality rate Public health Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Air pollution Population health 010501 environmental sciences medicine.disease_cause 01 natural sciences Health equity American Community Survey 03 medical and health sciences Geography Environmental health medicine Twin cities Air quality index 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 23:S45-S52 |
| ISSN: | 1078-4659 |
| DOI: | 10.1097/phh.0000000000000613 |
| Popis: | Objective The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency used local air pollution and public health data to estimate the impacts of particulate matter and ozone on population health, to identify disparities, and to inform decisions that will improve health. Setting While air quality in Minnesota currently meets federal standards, urban communities are concerned about the impact of air pollution on their health. The Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St Paul) metropolitan area includes 7 counties where fine particulate levels and rates of asthma exacerbations are elevated in some communities. Design We used the Environmental Protection Agency's BenMAP (Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program) software, along with local PM2.5 (fine particulate) and ozone ambient concentrations, census and population health data, to calculate impacts for 2008 at the zip code level. The impacts were summed across all zip codes for area-wide estimates. American Community Survey data were used to stratify zip codes by poverty and race for assessment of disparities. Main outcome measures Attributable fraction, attributable rate and counts for all-cause mortality, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalizations, asthma emergency department (ED) visits, and cardiovascular disease hospitalizations. Results In the Twin Cities (2008), air pollution was a contributing cause for an estimated 2% to 5% of respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations and ED visits and between 6% and 13% of premature deaths. The elderly (aged 65+ years) experienced the highest air pollution-attributable rates of death and respiratory hospitalizations; children experienced the highest asthma ED visit rates. Geographical and demographic differences in air pollution-attributable health impacts across the region reflected the differences in the underlying morbidity and mortality rates. Conclusions Method was effective in demonstrating that changes in air quality can have quantifiable health impacts across the Twin Cities. Key messages and implications from this work were shared with the media, community groups, legislators and the public. The results are being used to inform initiatives aimed at reducing sources of air pollution and to address health disparities in urban communities. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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