Associations between air pollution and pediatric pneumonia incidence in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: age and sex susceptibility
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Childhood pneumonia is a major public health issue in Mongolia and other low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Identifying modifiable environmental risk factors and vulnerable populations is essential for developing effective prevention strategies. We investigated whether short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants was associated with daily outpatient visits for pneumonia among children under 5 years of age in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and assessed whether age and sex modified these associations. Methods: )in Ulaanbaatar. Associations between ambient air pollutants and daily pneumonia outpatient visits were estimated using generalized additive models (GAMs) with a quasi-Poisson distribution. The models estimated relative risks (RRs) per interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutant concentrations while adjusting for long-term trends, seasonality, temperature, humidity, day of the week (DOW), holidays, and raw coal ban policy. We examined pollutant effects across different lag periods, assessed effect modification by age and sex, and evaluated the robustness of associations using multi-pollutant models. Results: were attenuated. Conclusions: associations in multi-pollutant models suggests that these pollutants may represent important independent contributors to childhood pneumonia risk. Boys and infants appeared to be more susceptible, highlighting vulnerable populations that may benefit from targeted air pollution mitigation strategies.
Source: Journal of Thoracic Disease
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223555729