Upper respiratory infection and pollution in the Gulf of Tonkin

Abstract

Air pollution has long become a burning issue worldwide and in Vietnam as one of the important risk factors affecting human health, especially upper respiratory diseases. To assess the current situation and the correlation between upper respiratory tract disease and air quality in the area adjacent to the Gulf of Tonkin region from 2017 to 2021, a research team from Hanoi Medical University and its collaborating units conducted the study of the current situation and the correlation between upper respiratory tract disease and air quality in 6 provinces/cities in the the area adjacent to Gulf of Tonkin: Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa from 2017 to 2021. Cross-sectional descriptive study, using air environment monitoring indicators and ICD-10 model of upper respiratory tract diseases of inpatients and outpatients in the above 6 provinces/cities from 2017 - 2021. The obtained results are data sets of air quality and models of upper respiratory tract diseases, from which the correlation between them can be processed by statistical and correlation analysis. The results show that the number of people with upper respiratory tract diseases was concentrated in the working age group (15 - 59 years old) (70%) and was lowest among children 0 - 4 years old (2%). Pharyngitis was the most common disease among 7 acute respiratory diseases (35.7%); followed by nasopharyngitis (28.6%); Acute otitis media was the lowest of the 7 diseases (nearly 7%). Hai Phong was the city with the highest number of patients with upper respiratory tract diseases, the lowest was Nam Dinh province. The number of patients with a single disease was predominant (67.1%), the number of patients with two or more diseases was high (30%). There was a strong correlation between CO concentration and pharyngitis in Thai Binh and laryngitis in Hai Phong. There was a significant correlation between NO₂ and sinusitis in Thanh Hoa and a high correlation between tonsillitis, VA in Ninh Binh. There was a high correlation between TSP and laryngitis in Hai Phong and tonsillitis, VA in Ninh Binh. In conclusion, there was a significant relationship between air pollutants and upper respiratory tract diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to take preventive measures based on the disease model of the upper respiratory tract and air pollution characteristics in each area to protect citizen’s health.