Dataset Information

Short-term impact of PM_2.5 on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.

ABSTRACT: Asthma ranks among the most costly of chronic diseases, accounting for over $50 billion annually in direct medical expenditures in the United States. At the same time, evidence has accumulated that fine particulate matter pollution can exacerbate asthma symptoms and generate substantial economic costs. To measure these costs, we use a unique nationwide panel dataset tracking asthmatic individuals' use of rescue medication and their exposure to PM_2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 ?m) concentration between 2012 and 2017, to estimate the causal relationship between pollution and inhaler use. Our sample consists of individuals using an asthma digital health platform, which relies on a wireless sensor to track the place and time of inhaler use events, as well as regular nonevent location and time indicators. These data provide an accurate measurement of inhaler use and allow spatially and temporally resolute assignment of pollution exposure. Using a high-frequency research design and individual fixed effects, we find that a 1 ?g/m³ (12%) increase in weekly exposure to PM_2.5 increases weekly inhaler use by 0.82%. We also show that there is seasonal, regional, and income-based heterogeneity in this response. Using our response prediction, and an estimate from the literature on the willingness to pay to avoid asthma symptoms, we show that a nationwide 1 ?g/m³ reduction in particulate matter concentration would generate nearly $350 million annually in economic benefits.

SUBMITTER: Williams AM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6431208 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Short-term impact of PM<sub>2.5</sub> on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.

Williams Austin M AM Phaneuf Daniel J DJ Barrett Meredith A MA Su Jason G JG

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20181126 12

Asthma ranks among the most costly of chronic diseases, accounting for over $50 billion annually in direct medical expenditures in the United States. At the same time, evidence has accumulated that fine particulate matter pollution can exacerbate asthma symptoms and generate substantial economic costs. To measure these costs, we use a unique nationwide panel dataset tracking asthmatic individuals' use of rescue medication and their exposure to PM<sub>2.5</sub> (particulate matter with an aerodyn ...[more]

PMID: 30478054

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundAir pollution is the greatest environmental threat to human health in the world today and is responsible for an estimated 7-9 million deaths annually. One of the most damaging air pollutants is PM2.5 pollution, fine airborne particulate matter under 2.5 microns in diameter. Exposure to PM2.5 pollution can cause premature death, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, diabetes, asthma, low birthweight, and IQ loss. To avoid these adverse health effects, the WHO recommends that PM2.5 levels not exceed 5 μg/m3.MethodsThis study estimates the negative health impacts of PM2.5 pollution in Texas in 2016. Local exposure estimates were calculated at the census tract level using the EPA's BenMAP-CE software. In BenMAP, a variety of exposure-response functions combine air pollution exposure data with population data and county-level disease and death data to estimate the number of health effects attributable to PM2.5 pollution for each census tract. The health effects investigated were mortality, low birthweight, stroke, new onset asthma, new onset Alzheimer's, and non-fatal lung cancer.FindingsThis study found that approximately 26.7 million (98.9%) of the 27.0 million people living in Texas in 2016 resided in areas where PM2.5 concentrations were above the WHO recommendation of 5 μg/m3, and that 2.6 million people (9.8%) lived in areas where the average PM2.5 concentration exceeded 10 μg/m3. This study estimates that there were 8,405 (confidence interval [CI], 5,674-11,033) premature deaths due to PM2.5 pollution in Texas in 2016, comprising 4.3% of all deaths. Statewide increases in air-pollution-related morbidity and mortality were seen for stroke (2,209 - CI: [576, 3,776]), low birthweight (2,841 - CI: [1,696, 3,925]), non-fatal lung cancers (636 - CI: [219, 980]), new onset Alzheimer's disease (24,575 - CI: [20,800, 27,540]), and new onset asthma (7,823 - CI: [7,557, 8,079]).ConclusionThis study found that air pollution poses significant risks to the health of Texans, despite the fact that pollution levels across most of the state comply with the EPA standard for PM2.5 pollution of 12 μg/m3. Improving air quality in Texas could save thousands of lives from disease, disability, and premature death.

Dataset Information

Short-term impact of PM_2.5 on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.

Publications

Short-term impact of PM<sub>2.5</sub> on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

Dataset Information

Short-term impact of PM2.5 on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.

Publications

Short-term impact of PM<sub>2.5</sub> on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets

Short-term impact of PM_2.5 on contemporaneous asthma medication use: Behavior and the value of pollution reductions.