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(1) Background: Recently, a growing number of studies have provided evidence to suggest a strong correlation between air pollution exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we assessed the relationship between early-life exposure to particulate matter (PM) 10 , PM 2 . 5 , and ADHD; (2) Methods: The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) contains the medical records, drug information, inspection data, etc., of the people of Taiwan, and, thus, could serve as an important research resource. Air pollution data were based on daily data from the Environmental Protection Administration Executive Yuan, R.O.C. (Taiwan). These included particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ). The two databases were merged according to the living area of the insured and the location of the air quality monitoring station; (3) Results: The highest levels of air pollutants, including PM 2.5 (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.79; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.58-2.02) and PM 10 (aHR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.37-1.70), had a significantly higher risk of ADHD; (4) Conclusions: As such, measures for air quality control that meet the WHO air quality guidelines should be strictly and uniformly implemented by Taiwanese government authorities.

Background: To date, there is insufficient knowledge about the association of air pollution and childhood nephrotic syndrome in the real world. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the three common gaseous air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, total hydrocarbon, and methane, on the risk of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) in children., Methods: We collected data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and Taiwan Air Quality-Monitoring Database. Children younger than 18 years old, identified from January 1, 2000, were followed up until the first diagnosis of INS was established or until December 31, 2012. We measured the incidence rates and hazard ratios for INS stratified based on the quartiles (Q1-Q4) of air pollutant concentration. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were also applied by adjusting age, sex, monthly income, and urbanization., Results: Compared with participants exposed to Q1 concentrations, the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for INS increased progressively along the four quartiles of sulfur dioxide, total hydrocarbon, and methane, from 1 (Q1) to 1.78 (Q4), 1 (Q1) to 3.49 (Q4), 1 (Q1) to 7.83 (Q4), respectively., Conclusions: Our study revealed that children with exposure to higher concentrations of sulfur dioxide, total hydrocarbon, and methane was associated with an increased risk of INS., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: There is growing evidence suggesting that air pollution may act as an important environmental risk factor in the development and aggravation of childhood atopic dermatitis (AD)., Methods: We collected data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) research database and linked the data to the Taiwan Air Quality-Monitoring Database. From January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2012; children aged below 18 years were selected from the database and followed longitudinally until the diagnosis of AD, withdrawal from the NHI, or December 31, 2012. Children with missing data or those diagnosed with AD before enrolment in this study were excluded. We measured the incidence rate and hazard ratios (HRs) for AD and stratified them by quartiles (Q1-Q4) of air pollutant concentration. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were also applied by adjusting for age, sex, monthly income, and level of urbanization., Results: When compared with the concentrations of pollutants in the Q1 quartile, the adjusted HR for AD increased with an increase in the exposure concentrations of total hydrocarbons (THCs), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), and methane (CH 4 ) from 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47-1.84) to 10.6 (95% CI: 5.85-7.07), from 1.14 (95% CI: 1.06-1.24) to 2.47 (95% CI: 2.29-2.66), and from 1.70 (95% CI: 1.52-1.89) to 11.9 (95% CI: 10.8-13.1), respectively. Patients exposed to higher levels of THCs, NMHCs, and CH 4 exhibited greater incidence rates of childhood AD., Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that exposure to higher concentrations of THCs, NMHCs, and CH 4 were associated with an increased risk of childhood AD., (© 2021. The Author(s).)