Do Gender, Education, and Income Modify the Effect of Air Pollution Gases on Cardiac Disease?

Abstract

We sought to determine whether gender, education, and income influence the susceptibility to ambient air pollution. We determined the association between daily cardiac hospitalizations and daily concentrations of gaseous air pollutants in 10 large Canadian cities using time-series analyses adjusted for day-of-the week, temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity. Percentage increases in hospitalization associated with an increase in air pollution equivalent to its mean value were statistically significant for ozone, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide individually (P < 0.05) and the combined pollutant effect was 8.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.8, 14.6). The air pollution-cardiac disease association was not significantly influenced by gender or community level of education or income. Short-term changes in air pollution may adversely affect cardiac disease but gender, and community education and income do not accurately identify those with increased susceptibility.