Correlation between the Incidence of Allergic Rhinitis and the Environmental Air Quality in Zibo Area.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and the air quality in Zibo area. Methods The number of AR cases in the outpatient departments of eight hospitals in five districts and three counties of Zibo city from January 2014 to December 2016 and the monthly change of the air pollution index (API) in Zibo area provided by Zibo Environment Protection Bureau during the same period were analyzed.Results The highest AR visit rates were recorded in April,May,and December,and the API was the highest in November,December,and January. The average AR visit rate in 2014,2015 and 2016 was 0.180±0.059,0.230±0.085,and 0.220±0.059 (F=2.251,P=0.123),and the average API was 113.26±20.152,126.81±30.688,and 112.58±22.934 (F=1.237,P=0.303). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the AR visit rate was positively correlated with the API (r=0.467,P=0.004). Conclusion The diagnostic rate of AR in Zibo area is positively correlated with the severity of air pollution.