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Acta Medica Medianae
Slavica Stevanović
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exposUre to air pollUtion and development Slavica Stevanović * i Dragana Nikić **
JKP “Naissus’’ u Nišu*
The aim of this research was to investigate the potential relationship between the longterm exposure to air pollution, as a risk factor, and the development of allergic reactions in the population. The observed sample consisted of Nis citizens of different age groups who lived in areas with high concentrations of air pollutants (investigated group) such as the Square of the October Revolution and Sindjelic’s Square (investigated group), as well as the citizens of Niska Banja (control group) which is the zone with the lowest concentration of air pollution. The investigation was carried out in the Public Health Institute in the period between 1996 and 2000. A significance test was performed using a Mantel-Haenszel chi square test. This test was used to check for a statistically significant difference between the incidence of the obstructive lung disease between the investigated group and the control group across all age groups. The cross-risk and relative risk were determined. The highest value of the chi square test was determined in the age group 26-50 (RR=3.50), in the group up to 25, RR=2.25, and in the group above 51, RR=1.89. The obtained results prove that the incidence of the obstructive lung disease is significantly higher in the exposed population than in the non-exposed. Acta Medica Medianae 2005; 44 (3): 21 – 25.
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