Prevalence rates of respiratory symptoms in Italian general population samples exposed to different levels of air pollution.

We surveyed two general population samples aged 8 to 64 living in the unpolluted, rural area of the Po Delta (northern Italy) (n = 3289) and in the urban area of Pisa (central Italy) (n = 2917). Each subject filled out a standardized interviewer-administered questionnaire. The Pisa sample was divided into three groups according to their residence in the urban-suburban areas and to outdoor air pollution exposure (automobile exhaust only or industrial fumes as well). Significantly higher prevalence rates of all the respiratory symptoms and diseases were found in Pisa compared with the Po Delta. In particular, rhinitis and wheezing symptoms were higher in all the three urban zones; chronic cough and phlegm were higher in the zone with the automobile exhaust and the additional industrial exposure. Current smoking was more frequent in the rural area, but the urban smokers had a higher lifetime cigarette consumption. Childhood respiratory trouble and recurrent respiratory illnesses were evenly distributed. Exposure to parental smoking in childhood and lower educational level were more frequent in Po Delta, whereas familial history of respiratory/allergic disorders and work and indoor exposures were more often reported in the city. Multiple logistic regression models estimating independently the role of the various risk factors showed significant odds ratios associated with residence in Pisa for all the symptoms but chronic phlegm. For example, those living in the urban-industrial zone had an odds ratio of 4.0 (4.3-3.7) for rhinitis and 2.8 (3.0-2.6) for wheeze with respect to those living in the Po Delta.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[1]  G. Viegi,et al.  Reference values for vital capacity and flow-volume curves from a general population study. , 1986, Bulletin europeen de physiopathologie respiratoire.

[2]  G. Viegi,et al.  Single breath nitrogen test in an epidemiologic survey in North Italy. Reliability, reference values and relationships with symptoms. , 1988, Chest.

[3]  G. Viegi,et al.  Reference equations for the single-breath diffusing capacity. A cross-sectional analysis and effect of body size and age. , 1985, The American review of respiratory disease.

[4]  M. Lebowitz,et al.  Tucson epidemiologic study of obstructive lung diseases. I: Methodology and prevalence of disease. , 1975, American journal of epidemiology.

[5]  F. Massey,et al.  The UCLA population studies of chronic obstructive respiratory disease. IV. Respiratory effect of long-term exposure to photochemical oxidants, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfates on current and never smokers. , 1981, The American review of respiratory disease.

[6]  W. Holland,et al.  THE URBAN FACTOR IN CHRONIC BRONCHITIS. , 1965, Lancet.

[7]  G. Viegi,et al.  Carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, other indices of lung function, and respiratory symptoms in a general population sample. , 1990, The American review of respiratory disease.

[8]  D. Dockery,et al.  Effects of ambient sulfur oxides and suspended particles on respiratory health of preadolescent children. , 1986, The American review of respiratory disease.

[9]  V. Hasselblad,et al.  Prevalence of persistent cough and phlegm in young adults in relation to long-term ambient sulfur oxide exposure. , 1985, The American review of respiratory disease.

[10]  B. Ferris,et al.  Guidelines as to what constitutes an adverse respiratory health effect, with special reference to epidemiologic studies of air pollution. , 1985, American Review of Respiratory Disease.

[11]  G. Viegi,et al.  Prevalence of respiratory symptoms in an unpolluted area of northern Italy. , 1988, The European respiratory journal.

[12]  M. Lebowitz,et al.  Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. , 1990, Clinics in chest medicine.

[13]  G. Viegi,et al.  Effects of childhood and adolescence-adulthood respiratory infections in a general population. , 1989, The European respiratory journal.

[14]  L. Allegra,et al.  Diagnostic labels applied to model case histories of chronic airflow obstruction. Responses to a questionnaire in 11 North American and Western European countries. , 1989, The European respiratory journal.

[15]  W. Spitzer,et al.  Respiratory health of a population living downwind from natural gas refineries. , 1989, The American review of respiratory disease.