目的:本研究就環境流行病學角度探討屏東地區空氣污染物之暴露與居民的健康影響之關係,將居民門診就醫的資料與空氣污染物質之暴露資料加以結合,以探討兩者之間的相關性。 方法:本研究屬次級資料分析,針對環保署在屏東地區所設之三個自動測站所屬地區為研究地區,收集各測站民國83∼91年之空氣污染物質監測數據,並選取民國92∼93年此三個地區健康保險門診抽樣資料中之易感性人口 (15歲以下兒童及65歲以上老年人)為對象,將資料進行連結與分析,以瞭解其罹患空氣污染相關疾病的情況及探討其疾病與空氣污染間是否具關聯性。 結果:在五種空氣污染物質(SO2, NO2, O3, CO, PM10)逐年濃度趨勢方面,除了O3 呈現些微上升以外,其他四種物質濃度均可看出有逐年下降之趨勢,且五種污染物質均呈現季節變化。門診就診頻率部分,心血管疾病與呼吸系統疾病就診頻率均以潮州地區最高,且兩年間資料比較是呈現就診頻率上升趨勢,而屏東及恆春則為下降趨勢。進行疾病就診頻率與各污染物質的簡單迴歸,以PM10對心血管及呼吸系統疾病影響最大;採複迴歸分析時,則以NO2對疾病影響最大。 結論:研究結果顯示,除O3之外,其餘四種空氣污染物均與疾病就診頻率有不同程度之相關,因此可得知長期空氣污染物的暴露是會造成居民健康上的影響。
Objectives: This research aimed to determine the link between exposure of air pollution and the health effect among residents in Ping-tong area through the perspective of Environmental Epidemiology. Methods: We collected the secondary data from the air monitors and the health insurance database of outpatient of three regions in Ping-tong area. We combined the data of concentrations of air pollutants from 1994 to 2002, and the health insurance data of susceptible population (≤15 year-olds and ≥65 year-olds) of outpatient from 2003 to 2004, to describe the current condition of air pollution related diseases and to explore the relationship between air pollution and relevant diseases. Results: Except for the slightly rising concentration of O3, the concentrations of the other four air pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO, PM10) were descending year by year, and all the concentrations of the five air pollutants showed seasonal variation. The region with the highest frequencies of OPD visit of both respiratory system and cardiovascular disease was Chao-zhou, and the frequencies showed a rising tendency from 2003 to 2004; the frequencies in the other two regions (Ping-tong and Heng-chun) showed a descending tendency. The results of the simple linear regression showed that PM10 was the most influential air pollutant to respiratory system and cardiovascular disease. Multiple linear regression showed that NO2 was the most influential air pollutant. Conclusions and suggestions: Except for O3, all the other four air pollutants were correlated to the frequency of OPD visit, which showed that long-term exposure to air pollution will cause adverse health effect to the residents.