Effects of exposure to ambient air pollution on pulmonary function impairment in South Korea: Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the association between pulmonary function and air pollution using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2007 to 2017, a nationwide cross-sectional representative survey. Methods A total of 27,378 participants that had sampling weight from a complex sample survey were included in this study. Using the data for the forced expiratory volume in 1 second and the forced vital capacity, the Participants with pulmonary function impairment were classified according to the criteria of the restrictive and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Exposure to ambient air pollution was estimated using the Community Multiscale Air Quality model. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses with complex samples were used to determine the associations between pulmonary function and air pollution after adjusting for covariates. Results In total, 13.2% of the participants >aged 40 had COPD, and 10.7% were classified in the restrictive group. According to the multivariate logistic regression model, the odds ratios of the fourth quartiles of PM10, PM2.5, and CO with a 2-year lag period were 1.203 (95% confidence interval: 1.036, 1.396), 1.283 (1.101, 1.495), and 1.292 (1.110, 1.504), respectively, with the restrictive group as an event after adjusting for covariates with the complex sample. Conclusion Long-term exposures to PM10, PM2.5, and CO were significantly associated with pulmonary function, especially in the restrictive group.