1
|
Byun G, Kim S, Choi Y, Kim A, Team AC, Lee JT, Bell ML. Long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and mortality in a national cohort in South Korea: effect modification by community deprivation, medical infrastructure, and greenness. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1266. [PMID: 38720292 PMCID: PMC11080206 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18752-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to increased mortality risk. However, limited studies have examined the potential modifying effect of community-level characteristics on this association, particularly in Asian contexts. This study aimed to estimate the effects of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on mortality in South Korea and to examine whether community-level deprivation, medical infrastructure, and greenness modify these associations. METHODS We conducted a nationwide cohort study using the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. A total of 394,701 participants aged 30 years or older in 2006 were followed until 2019. Based on modelled PM2.5 concentrations, 1 to 3-year and 5-year moving averages of PM2.5 concentrations were assigned to each participant at the district level. Time-varying Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate the association between PM2.5 and non-accidental, circulatory, and respiratory mortality. We further conducted stratified analysis by community-level deprivation index, medical index, and normalized difference vegetation index to represent greenness. RESULTS PM2.5 exposure, based on 5-year moving averages, was positively associated with non-accidental (Hazard ratio, HR: 1.10, 95% Confidence Interval, CI: 1.01, 1.20, per 10 µg/m3 increase) and circulatory mortality (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.47). The 1-year moving average of PM2.5 was associated with respiratory mortality (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.67). We observed higher associations between PM2.5 and mortality in communities with higher deprivation and limited medical infrastructure. Communities with higher greenness showed lower risk for circulatory mortality but higher risk for respiratory mortality in association with PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS Our study found mortality effects of long-term PM2.5 exposure and underlined the role of community-level factors in modifying these association. These findings highlight the importance of considering socio-environmental contexts in the design of air quality policies to reduce health disparities and enhance overall public health outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Garam Byun
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sera Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongsoo Choi
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Ayoung Kim
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - AiMS-Create Team
- Ai-Machine learning Statistics Collaborative Research Ensemble for Air pollution, Temperature, and all types of Environmental exposures, Seoul National University and Pusan National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Tae Lee
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
- School of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Hana Science Hall, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- School of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Hana Science Hall, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kim S, Sung HK, Lee J, Ko E, Kim SJ. Trends in emergency department visits for emergency care-sensitive conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide study in Korea, 2019-2021. Clin Exp Emerg Med 2024; 11:88-93. [PMID: 38204160 PMCID: PMC11009707 DOI: 10.15441/ceem.23.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Emergency care systems worldwide have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the trend of emergency department (ED) visits for emergency care-sensitive conditions (ECSCs) in Korea before and during the pandemic. METHODS We performed a longitudinal study using the national ED database in Korea from January 2019 to December 2021. We calculated the number and incidence rate of visits for ECSCs per 100,000 ED visits, and the incidence rate ratio of 2021 relative to the value in 2019. The selected ECSCs were intracranial injury, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and cardiac arrest. RESULTS The number of ED visits for all causes decreased by about 23% during the pandemic. The number of ED visits for intracranial injuries decreased from 166,695 in 2019 to 133,226 in 2020 and then increased to 145,165 in 2021. The number of ED visits for ischemic heart disease and stroke decreased in 2020 but increased to 2019 levels in 2021. In contrast, the number of ED visits for cardiac arrest increased from 23,903 in 2019 to 24,344 in 2020 and to 27,027 in 2021. The incidence rate and incidence rate ratio of these four ECSCs increased from 2019 to 2021, suggesting increasing relative proportions of ECSCs in total ED visits. CONCLUSION During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cardiac arrests seen in the EDs increased, but that of other ECSCs decreased. The decrease in ED visits for ECSCs was not as pronounced as the decrease in ED visits for all causes during the pandemic. Further studies are needed to determine clinical outcomes in patients with ECSC during the pandemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seonji Kim
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ho Kyung Sung
- Public Health Research Institute, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeehye Lee
- National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eunsil Ko
- National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seong Jung Kim
- National Emergency Medical Center, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Chosun University College of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Voicu B, Fărcășanu D, Mustață M, Deliu A, Vișinescu I. Using laws, common sense, and statistical approaches to design indicators for 'medical desertification'. An application on the Romanian case. Soc Sci Med 2023; 327:115944. [PMID: 37150112 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The study of spatial accessibility to healthcare services is key to health policy (Pförtner et al., 2019; Vergier et al., 2017). Terms such as 'rurality' or 'medical desertification' were employed to stress the relevance of the topic. Within the existing literature, there is little (if any) concern with the legitimacy of the existing ways to measure inequality. Expert systems were assumed to be in place, and discrepancies or consistency with existing regulations or to views of relevant stakeholders were not considered. This paper discusses spatial accessibility of medical services in three distinct approaches: normative, that is following what national regulations consider as standard; relative, that is what statistical approaches reveal; consensual, which adjusts the indexes based on representations of stakeholders. The three approaches are compared for the case of Romania, an EU country with low population density, ideal to inspect geographical discrepancies. For the relative and the consensual approach, population is adjusted according to different demand expressed by age groups, and also including population and providers from the nearby localities. The normative approach follows official regulations. The refinements in the consensual model are based on survey data from stakeholders and consider distances to neighbouring localities and adjustments according to the age structure of the population in the catchment area. The results reveal high consistency between the consensual and the relative approach. Both are more permissive with respect to detecting medical desertification as compared to the normative approach but prove to be more effective in directing policy when resources are scarce. The normative approach, however, is relevant in depicting the state of the system as contrasted to a desired standard. The relative approach also overlaps with the consensual one. Therefore, to fully characterize spatial accessibility to general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies, one needs to consider at least the normative and the relative approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Voicu
- Romanian Academy, Research Institute for Quality of Life, Romania; Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania; Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania.
| | | | | | - Alexandra Deliu
- Romanian Academy, Research Institute for Quality of Life, Romania.
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hedman M, Doolan-Noble F, Stokes T, Brännström M. Doctors' experiences of providing care in rural hospitals in Southern New Zealand: a qualitative study. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e062968. [PMID: 36600351 PMCID: PMC9730364 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore rural hospital doctors' experiences of providing care in New Zealand rural hospitals. DESIGN The study had a qualitative design, using qualitative content analysis. SETTING The study was conducted in South Island, New Zealand, and included nine different rural hospitals. RESPONDENTS Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 rural hospital doctors. RESULTS Three themes were identified: 'Applying a holistic perspective in the care', 'striving to maintain patient safety in sparsely populated areas' and 'cooperating in different teams around the patient'. Rural hospital care more than general hospital care was seen as offering a holistic perspective on patient care based on closeness to their home and family, the generalist perspective of care and personal continuity. The presentation of acute life-threatening low-frequency conditions at rural hospitals were associated with feelings of concern due to limited access to ambulance transportation and lack of experience.Overall, however, patient safety in rural hospitals was considered equal or better than in general hospitals. Doctors emphasised the central role of rural hospitals in the healthcare pathways of rural patients, and the advantages and disadvantages with small non-hierarchical multidisciplinary teams caring for patients. Collaboration with hospital specialists was generally perceived as good, although there was a sense that urban colleagues do not understand the additional medical and practical assessments needed in rural compared with the urban context. CONCLUSIONS This study provides an understanding of how rural hospital doctors value the holistic generalist perspective of rural hospital care, and of how they perceive the quality and safety of that care. The long distances to general hospital care for acute cases were considered concerning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mante Hedman
- Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umea University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fiona Doolan-Noble
- General Practice and Rural Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Tim Stokes
- General Practice and Rural Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ahn J, Jang M, Yoo H, Kim HR. The relationship between hospital selection by employer and disabilities in occupational accidents in Korea. Saf Health Work 2022; 13:279-285. [PMID: 36156864 PMCID: PMC9482018 DOI: 10.1016/j.shaw.2022.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the event of an industrial accident, the appropriate choice of hospital is important for worker health and prognosis. This study investigates whether the choice of hospital by the employer in the case of industrial accidents affects the prognosis of injured employees. Methods Data from the 2018 Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance in Korea were used in an unmatched case-controlled study. The exposure variable is “hospital selection by an employer,” and the outcome variable is ‘worker’s disability.” Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated by modified Poisson regression and adjusted for age, gender, underlying disease, injury severity, and workplace size and stratified by industrial classification. The group at increased risk was analyzed and stratified by age, gender, and area. Results In the construction industry, hospital selection by the employer was significantly associated with increased risk of disability (adjusted OR 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–1.32) and severe disability (adjusted OR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.08–1.76) among the injured. Female and younger workers not living in the Seoul capital area were more at risk of disability and severe disability than those living in the Seoul capital area. Conclusions Hospital selection by employers affects the prognosis of workers injured in an industrial accident. For protecting workers’ health and safety, workplace emergency medical systems should be improved, and the selection of appropriate hospitals to supply treatment should be reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joonho Ahn
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Jang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Hankook General Hospital, Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoungseob Yoo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoung-Ryoul Kim
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Corresponding author. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|