Hospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factors

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dc.contributor.advisorEhrlich, Rodney Ien_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorVon Schirnding, Yasmin Elizabeth Robertaen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorFuggle, Richard Francisen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorTruluck, Timothy Francisen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-01T07:43:46Z
dc.date.available2016-03-01T07:43:46Z
dc.date.issued1993en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: pages 103-119.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe aims of this study were (a) to examine the profile of hospital admissions for selected respiratory illnesses for two major hospitals in Cape Town, and (b) to analyse the association of such admissions with air pollution indicators and meteorological variables. The first part of the study investigated the admission patterns of coloured and African children under twelve years of age who were diagnosed as suffering from asthma or acute respiratory infections at two major teaching hospitals in Cape Town. Computerized hospital admission records covering the years 1988-1990 from the overnight holding wards of the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital were used to determine patterns with respect to diagnosis, gender, race, age and date of admission. During the three year study period, respiratory admissions at both hospitals accounted for 15 078 (47.3%) out of a total of 31 887 admissions. Acute respiratory infections accounted for 63.6% and asthma 37.4 % of these respiratory admissions. Two factors of interest were noted: (1) Considerably more males than females were admitted with both asthma and acute respiratory infections. (2) Asthma admissions to Red Cross Hospital among African children were proportionally much less than those of coloured children when compared to the proportions of admissions for acute respiratory infections. After removal of the seasonal effect, a multiple linear regression model was fitted to the data to determine the individual associations between admissions and ambient environmental variables. Significant associations were found between: (1) acute respiratory infections and oxides of nitrogen, soiling index, and temperature; (2) asthma and oxides of nitrogen (3) total admissions and soiling index, average temperature and minimum temperature (negative). The study concluded that despite generally low levels of air pollution in Cape Town, childhood respiratory admissions to Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital were statistically significantly associated with some ambient air pollutants as well as temperature. However, given the nature of both the exposure and admissions databases, these results should be treated with caution. More representative site selections for air pollution monitors, as well as searching and controlling for possible confounding factors (i.e. indoor air pollution, parental smoking, overcrowding), would allow a better understanding of the current air pollution problem and the possible effects on the respiratory health of children in metropolitan Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationTruluck, T. F. (1993). <i>Hospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factors</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17402en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationTruluck, Timothy Francis. <i>"Hospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factors."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17402en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationTruluck, T. 1993. Hospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factors. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Truluck, Timothy Francis AB - The aims of this study were (a) to examine the profile of hospital admissions for selected respiratory illnesses for two major hospitals in Cape Town, and (b) to analyse the association of such admissions with air pollution indicators and meteorological variables. The first part of the study investigated the admission patterns of coloured and African children under twelve years of age who were diagnosed as suffering from asthma or acute respiratory infections at two major teaching hospitals in Cape Town. Computerized hospital admission records covering the years 1988-1990 from the overnight holding wards of the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital were used to determine patterns with respect to diagnosis, gender, race, age and date of admission. During the three year study period, respiratory admissions at both hospitals accounted for 15 078 (47.3%) out of a total of 31 887 admissions. Acute respiratory infections accounted for 63.6% and asthma 37.4 % of these respiratory admissions. Two factors of interest were noted: (1) Considerably more males than females were admitted with both asthma and acute respiratory infections. (2) Asthma admissions to Red Cross Hospital among African children were proportionally much less than those of coloured children when compared to the proportions of admissions for acute respiratory infections. After removal of the seasonal effect, a multiple linear regression model was fitted to the data to determine the individual associations between admissions and ambient environmental variables. Significant associations were found between: (1) acute respiratory infections and oxides of nitrogen, soiling index, and temperature; (2) asthma and oxides of nitrogen (3) total admissions and soiling index, average temperature and minimum temperature (negative). The study concluded that despite generally low levels of air pollution in Cape Town, childhood respiratory admissions to Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital were statistically significantly associated with some ambient air pollutants as well as temperature. However, given the nature of both the exposure and admissions databases, these results should be treated with caution. More representative site selections for air pollution monitors, as well as searching and controlling for possible confounding factors (i.e. indoor air pollution, parental smoking, overcrowding), would allow a better understanding of the current air pollution problem and the possible effects on the respiratory health of children in metropolitan Cape Town. DA - 1993 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1993 T1 - Hospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factors TI - Hospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factors UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17402 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/17402
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationTruluck TF. Hospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factors. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, 1993 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17402en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Environmental and Geographical Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherHospital patients - South Africa - Cape Townen_ZA
dc.subject.otherPollution - Physiological effecten_ZA
dc.subject.otherPollution - Research - South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.otherAsthma in childrenen_ZA
dc.subject.otherLungs - Diseasesen_ZA
dc.titleHospital admission patterns of childhood respiratory illness in Cape Town and their association with air pollution and meteorological factorsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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