Investigating the Relationship between Air Pollution, Meteorology, and COPD Trends in Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal

Spanning 464.24 km2, Pokhara Metropolitan City is Nepal’s largest city by area. With over 400 000 residents, it is also Nepal’s second most populous city. This research investigated a biometeorological system present within Pokhara Metropolitan City concerning air pollution, meteorological conditions, and health. Different aspects of this system are more or less influential in various regions of the city, and understanding these relationships can assist with future health interventions for limiting exposure to pollutants. This research was completed using datasets published in government records and scientific literature, showcasing what can be accomplished with open-source data. Key findings were a positive correlation between air pollution levels and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospital admissions to Pokhara’s Western Regional Hospital and a negative correlation between meteorological measurements and hospital admissions. These findings aligned with the general body of literature on risk factors for COPD hospitalizations. Multivariate regressions yielded better predictions for hospital admissions using both mean low and high temperatures as opposed to using one temperature variable, which implied both daily low and high temperatures are related to hospital admissions. Results also revealed air pollution levels for pollutants ≤ 10 and > 2.5 μm were better predictors of hospital admissions than air pollutants sized 2.5 μm and below. Findings prompted questions about the relationships between different pollutant sizes and their correlations to COPD hospitalizations. Findings also yielded questions about health interventions and Pokhara’s built environment, which may be investigated in future research.