Evaluation of atmospheric pollution effects on pediatric and adolescents hospitalization of patients with connective tissue diseases in São Paulo city.

Abstract

Introduction: time series studies have been adopted to investigate air pollution effects on health using different indicators. Hospitalizations due to both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are the most explored. Less attention has been given to air pollution effects on connective tissue diseases. The aim of this study is to determine the acute effect of air pollution on the hospitalization of children and adolescents with connective tissue diseases in São Paulo City hospitals.Methods: the Bazilian Health Unique System will provide data on hospitalizations from 2000 to 2006 and those related to acute manifestations of connective tissue diseases in the age group from zero to 18 years will be selected. Also, secondary diagnoses will be checked to look for respiratory diseases as associated morbidities. Daily records of SO2, CO, NO2, O3, e PM10 will be provided by the São Paulo Sate Environmental Sanitation Technology Company (CETESB in Portuguese). Weather variables will be provided by the University of São Paulo Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences. To estimate air pollution effects we will adopt generalized linear Poisson regression models, controlling for seasonalities, short-term trends, and weather variables. Results will be presented as percentage increase in daily hospitalizations of connective tissue diseases' acute manifestations due to interquartile range (difference between the third and the first quartiles) increases in air pollutants concentrations.