Trends in the Use of Air Quality Indexes in Asthma Studies

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Trends in the Use of Air Quality Indexes in Asthma Studies
by Angie Daniela Barrera-Heredia 1,Carlos Alfonso Zafra-Mejía 2,*ORCID,Alejandra Cañas Arboleda 3,4ORCID,María José Fernández Sánchez 4,5ORCID,Liliana López-Kleine 6ORCID andAdriana Rojas Moreno 7,8,9,10ORCID
1
Maestría en Desarrollo Sustentable y Gestión Ambiental, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá E-110231, Colombia
2
Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería Ambiental—GIIAUD, Facultad del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá E-110231, Colombia
3
Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá E-110231, Colombia
4
Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá E-110231, Colombia
5
Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá E-110231, Colombia
6
Departamento de Estadística, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá E-11001, Colombia
7
Instituto de Genética Humana, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá E-110231, Colombia
8
Department of Genetics, University of Cordoba, E 14071 Córdoba, Spain
9
Maimónides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), E 14071 Córdoba, Spain
10
Reina Sofía University Hospital, E 14071 Córdoba, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Atmosphere 2024, 15(7), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070847
Submission received: 7 June 2024 / Revised: 6 July 2024 / Accepted: 16 July 2024 / Published: 18 July 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Ambient Air Pollution and Human Health)
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Abstract
International air quality indexes (AQIs) are derived from air pollution and are essential global tools for mitigating diseases such as asthma, as they are used to reduce exposure to triggers. The aim of this article is to systematically review the global literature on the use of AQIs in asthma-related studies. To evaluate the importance of the variables considered, a citation frequency index (Q) was used. The results suggest that the most frequently reported air pollutants related to asthma are PM (Q3) > NO2 (Q3) > O3 (Q3) > CO (Q3) > NO (Q3) > SO2 (Q3). In addition, climate variables play a relevant role in asthma research. Temperature (Q4) emerged as the most relevant climate variable, followed by atmospheric pressure (Q3) > wind direction (Q3) > solar radiation (Q3) > precipitation (Q3) > wind speed (Q3). AQIs, specifically the U.S.EPA Air Quality Index and the Air Quality Health Index, are directly associated with air pollution and the prevalence, severity and exacerbation of asthma. The findings also suggest that climate change presents additional challenges in relation to asthma by influencing the environmental conditions that affect the disease. Finally, this study provides a comprehensive view of the relationships among air quality, air pollutants and asthma and highlights the need for further research in this field to develop public health policies and environmental regulations.