Increased Risk of Hospitalization for Lower Respiratory Tract Ill-Ness (Lrti) of Elderly Living in Communities near a Newly Es-Tablished Industrial Estate in Central Thailand

Air pollution and health effects in communities near industrial areas are a matter of con-cern in Thailand. Elevated air pollution concentrations are associated with morbidity and mortality arising from the lower respiratory tract. In this study, we aimed to assess if liv-ing in a community near a new industrial estate in central Thailand was associated with an elevated incidence of lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) among the elderly. We used data on hospital admissions from a primary hospital and sub-district health promoting hospitals in six sub-districts located within a radius of 5 kilometers from the industrial estate between 1st November 2023 and 31st March 2024, using a cross-sectional study de-sign. There were 1,311 elderly are living within a radius of 3 kilometers and 1,488 between 3 and 5 kilometers. We found a statistically significant increased risk of hospitalization for LRTI in the elderly living within a radius of less than 3 kilometers (odds ratio 3.43 [95%CI: 1.61- 7.36]), compared to those living in a radius between 3 and 5 kilometers. Our results provide strong support for the associations between hospitalization for LRTI and living distance from the new industrial estate.