Asthmatic symptoms and air pollution: a panel study on children living in the Italian Po Valley.

The Po Valley (Northern Italy) has elevated levels of air-pollution due to various sources of pollution and adverse weather conditions. This study evaluates the short-term effects of exposure to particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM10) on asthma symptoms in school-aged children. An initial cross-sectional survey was conducted in the area to estimate asthma prevalence in children.

[Air pollution and mortality in twenty-five Italian cities: results of the EpiAir2 Project].

Objectives: this study aims at presenting the results from the Italian EpiaAir2 Project on the short-term effects of air pollution on adult population (35+ years old) in 25 Italian cities.

Design: the short-term effects of air pollution on resident people died in their city were analysed adopting the time series approach. The association between increases in 10µg/m(3) in PM10, PM2.

Assessing paediatric asthma occurrence through dispensed prescription data and questionnaires.

Background: The prevalence of asthma, a common disorder in childhood, is often estimated by cross-sectional studies based on questionnaires, with the drawback that estimates are limited to certain age groups and areas. The use of electronic health data is increasingly allowing researchers to overcome these limitations. This study is aimed at assessing asthma occurrence of a school-aged population in Northeast Italy using two different data sources.