External Environmental Conditions and Their Relation to Child Morbidity: a Case Study in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The present study assessed the influence of meteorological variables in respiratory morbidity in children living in different homes throughout Sao Paulo, Brazil. The selected homes belonged to the “sibilancia” (wheezing) project carried out in Sao Paulo between 2003 and 2006, and the objective of which was to assess the occurrence of respiratory diseases during two years of a child’s life. The project included follow-up and association between wheezing (respiratory disease) episodes, air quality conditions and external environmental conditions. The environmental data was measured by different automatic stations throughout the defined period. Also, synoptic conditions and their influence in the children’s health were determined for the defined period. The synoptic conditions were analyzed with synoptic scales and data from the stations. The results can contribute to the establishment of public policies that can be useful for agencies that monitor air quality, such as weather forecast for public public attention to weather changes and their effects on young children