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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
environmental science
Dust storms and the risk of asthma admissions to hospitals in Kuwait
Science of the Total Environment, Volume 433, Year 2012
Notification
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Description
Objective: Arid areas in the Arabian Peninsula are one of the largest sources of global dust, yet there is no data on the impact of this on human health. This study aimed to investigate the impact of dust storms on hospital admissions due to asthma and all respiratory diseases over a period of 5. years in Kuwait. Methods: A population-based retrospective time series study of daily emergency asthma admissions and admissions due to respiratory causes in public hospitals in Kuwait was analyzed in relation to dust storm events. Dust storm days were defined as the mean daily PM10>200μg/m3 based on measurements obtained from all six monitoring sites in the country. Findings: During the five-year study period, 569 (33.6%) days had dust storm events and they were significantly associated with an increased risk of same-day asthma and respiratory admission, adjusted relative risk of 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02-1.12) and 1.06 (95% CI: 1.04-1.08), respectively. This was particularly evident among children. Conclusion: Dust storms have a significant impact on respiratory and asthma admissions. Evidence is more convincing and robust compared to that from other geographical settings which highlights the importance of public health measures to protect people's health during dust storms and reduce the burden on health services due to dust events. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.
Authors & Co-Authors
Thalib, Lukman
Kuwait, Kuwait City
Kuwait University
Al-Taiar, Abdullah
Kuwait, Kuwait City
Kuwait University
Statistics
Citations: 116
Authors: 2
Affiliations: 1
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.082
ISSN:
00489697
e-ISSN:
18791026
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Cohort Study