Work

Association between air pollution and emergency department visits for unintentional injuries in four cities of Shandong Province, China

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objective To study the relationship between emergency department visits for unintentional injuries and air pollutants in four cities in Shandong Province, China (2019–2022). Methods From 2019 to 2022, the data on air pollutants and unintentional injury emergency department visits were extracted from four cities in Shandong Province (Dezhou, Jinan, Zibo, and Heze). We used the dynamic factor model (DFM) to determine the trend of emergency visits and the distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to analyze the lag effect of air pollutants on these visits. We also conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the impact estimates of air pollutants on emergency visits. Results The dynamic factor model showed that from 2019 to 2022, the number of emergency visits for unintentional injuries in the four cities in Shandong Province was cyclical, with the highest number of emergency visits in summer every year. PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 exhibited single-day lag effects on emergency visits for unintentional injuries, with the highest risk observed at Lag4, Lag5, Lag4, Lag3, Lag1, and Lag3, respectively. The corresponding relative risks ( RRs ) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs ) were 1.014(1.007, 1.021), 1.015(1.006, 1.023), 1.085(1.038, 1.134), 1.036(1.013, 1.060), 1.121(1.069, 1.175), and 1.084(1.052, 1.116). Additionally, PM 2.5 , PM 10 , CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 demonstrated cumulative lag effects, with the highest risk observed at Lag07, Lag07, Lag06, Lag05, Lag06, and Lag05, respectively. The RRs (95% CIs) were 1.058(1.033, 1.083), 1.037(1.003, 1.072), 1.468(1.244, 1.733), 1.099(1.039, 1.161), 1.221(1.097, 1.359), and 1.227(1.138, 1.323). Conclusion Emergency visits for unintentional injuries in the four cities exhibited an annual cyclical pattern, with the peak occurring in summer. Exposure to high concentrations of air pollutants increased the risk of unintentional injuries, with distinct effects observed across different pollutants, each exhibiting specific single-day and cumulative lag effects.

Source: Frontiers in Public Health

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1710542