Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering (산업경영시스템학회지)

Society of Korea Industrial and System Engineering (한국산업경영시스템학회)
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The Impact of Particulate Matter and Public Awareness on the Incidence of Asthma

미세먼지 농도 및 대중의 인식도가 천식질환 발생빈도에 미치는 영향 분석

  • Ki-Kwang Lee (School of Business Administration, Dankook University)
  • Received : 2023.11.29
  • Accepted : 2023.12.06
  • Published : 2023.12.31
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Abstract

This study investigates the influence of particulate matter concentrations on the incidence of asthma, focusing on the delayed onset of symptoms and subsequent medical consultations. Analysis incorporates a four-day lag from the initiation of fine dust exposure and compares asthma patterns before and after the World Health Organization's (WHO) classification of fine dust as a Group 1 carcinogen in November 2013. Utilizing daily PM10 data and asthma-related medical visit counts in Seoul from 2008 to 2016, the study additionally incorporates Google search frequencies and newspaper article counts on fine dust to assess public awareness. Results reveal a surge in search frequencies and article publications after WHO announcement, indicating heightened public interest. To standardize the long-term asthma occurrence trend, the daily asthma patient numbers are ratio-adjusted based on annual averages. The analysis uncovers an increase in asthma medical visits 2 to 3 days after fine dust events. Additionally, greater public awareness of fine dust hazards correlates with a significant reduction in asthma occurrence after such events, even within 'normal' fine dust concentrations. Notably, behavioral changes, like limiting outdoor activities, contribute to this decrease. This study highlights the importance of analyzing accumulated medical data over an extended period to identify general public behavioral patterns, deviating from conventional survey methods in social sciences. Future research aims to extend data collection beyond 2016, exploring recent trends and considering the potential impact of decreased fine dust awareness amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The present research was supported by the research fund of Dankook University in 2023

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