Risk of health services use (claim or admission) by AQHI and pollutants on day 0 of exposure; each pollutant is adjusted for the other two pollutants
| Disease categories (In alphabetical order) | Outpatient visits | ED visits | Hospitalisations | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate ratio* | L95% | U95% | p Value | Rate ratio* | L95% | U95% | p Value | Rate ratio* | L95% | U95% | p Value | |
| Acute myocardial infarction | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 0.97 | 0.96 | 0.97 | <0.0001 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.94 | <0.0001 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.97 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.02 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 1.06 | 1.06 | 1.06 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.96 | <0.0001 | 0.95 | 0.95 | 0.96 | <0.0001 | 0.94 | 0.93 | 0.94 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.96 | <0.0001 |
| Angina | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.04 | 1.04 | 1.04 | <0.0001 | 1.01 | 1.00 | 1.01 | 0.0001 | 1.03 | 1.02 | 1.03 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.12 | 1.12 | 1.12 | <0.0001 | 1.02 | 1.01 | 1.02 | <0.0001 | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.09 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.95 | 0.95 | 0.95 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.97 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 0.99 | 1.00 | 0.0179 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 |
| Asthma | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.03 | 1.03 | 1.03 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.01 | 1.00 | 1.01 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.06 | 1.06 | 1.07 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.03 | 1.02 | 1.03 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 1.01 | 1.01 | 1.01 | <0.0001 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.7534 | 1.01 | 1.01 | 1.01 | <0.0001 |
| Non-lung cancers | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.05 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 1.00 | <0.0001 | 1.03 | 1.02 | 1.03 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.14 | 1.14 | 1.14 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.5871 | 1.11 | 1.10 | 1.11 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.95 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 0.99 | 1.00 | 0.3745 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.95 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 1.00 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 |
| Congestive heart failure | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.02 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.02 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.08 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.01 | 0.0261 | 1.09 | 1.09 | 1.09 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.96 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.7619 | 0.96 | 0.95 | 0.96 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.06 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.01 | 0.0007 | 1.03 | 1.03 | 1.04 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.12 | 1.12 | 1.12 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.01 | 0.0338 | 1.09 | 1.09 | 1.10 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.97 | 0.96 | 0.97 | <0.0001 | 1.02 | 1.01 | 1.02 | <0.0001 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.97 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| Diabetes | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.03 | 1.03 | 1.03 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.0013 | 1.04 | 1.04 | 1.04 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.08 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.3093 | 1.07 | 1.07 | 1.08 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.97 | <0.0001 | 1.01 | 1.00 | 1.01 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.5334 | 1.00 | 0.99 | 1.00 | <0.0001 |
| Hypertension | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.03 | 1.03 | 1.03 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.03 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.08 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.2714 | 1.06 | 1.06 | 1.07 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.97 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 |
| Ischaemic heart disease | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.02 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.8059 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.05 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.8365 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 1.06 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.01 | 0.6955 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.95 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.3718 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| Lung cancer | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.97 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.06 | 1.05 | 1.06 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.02 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.95 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.95 | 0.95 | 0.96 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.98 | <0.0001 |
| Stroke | ||||||||||||
| AQHI | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | <0.0001 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.96 | <0.0001 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 |
| NO2 | 1.05 | 1.04 | 1.05 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 1.05 | 1.04 | 1.05 | <0.0001 |
| PM2.5 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.97 | <0.0001 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.97 | <0.0001 | 0.96 | 0.96 | 0.96 | <0.0001 |
| O3 | 0.98 | 0.98 | 0.98 | <0.0001 | 0.99 | 0.98 | 0.99 | <0.0001 | 0.97 | 0.97 | 0.97 | <0.0001 |
*The Risk Ratios were obtained from Poisson Regressions and these correspond to increase/decrease in risk of the respective health services use per unit increase in AQHI or per 10-unit increase in the air pollutants. All Risk Ratios were adjusted for age groups, sex, seasons, temperature, day of week, years, Local Health Integration Network and income quintiles.
L95%, lower bound of 95% CI; U95%, upper bound of 95% CI.
AQHI, Air Quality Health Index; ED, emergency department; NO2 nitrogen dioxide; PM2.5 fine particulate matter; O3, ozone.