Exposure of Ambient PM 2.5 and Acute Upper-and Lower Respiratory Infection in Children Under the Age of Five in South and Southeast Asia

Studies on ambient PM_2.5 exposure and AURI and ALRI in regions such as South and South-East Asia, where levels of PM_2.5 are among the highest, are limited. We assessed the associations between ambient PM_2.5 exposure and AURI and ALRI in children under the age of 5 years from South and Southeast Asia. We identified subjects from the demographic health survey (DHS). We retrieved PM_2.5 information from the Atmospheric Compositional Analysis Group. Annual mean levels of PM_2.5 ranged from 21.3 to 73.2 μg/m³. We performed the meta-analytical approach to obtain the pooled results. Our initial results show an association between ambient PM_2.5 exposure and AURI (OR 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11) but not ALRI (OR 1.03, 95% CI: 0.98-1.09). However, after controlling for indoor SHS, effect estimates became stronger for AURI and ALRI (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.04-1.54 and OR 1.20, 95% CI: 1.00-1.44) compared to the uncontrolled group. Our study shows an association between ambient PM_2.5 exposure and the prevalence of AURI and ALRI in children under the age of 5 years from South and Southeast Asia. Promoting awareness of air pollution in line with the implementation and monitoring of relevant policies is crucial in establishing clean air and health.