The spatiotemporal correlation of PM2.5 concentration on esophageal cancer hospitalization rate in Fujian province of China

This paper aimed to explore the correlation between PM2.5 concentration and hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer in Fujian province, and tried to find out the accurate lag effect between PM2.5 and hospitalization rate in 70 counties from the linear and nonlinear aspects. We extracted inpatients data of esophageal cancer from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) database and air pollutant PM2.5 grid data published by the atmospheric composition analysis group. The study showed that the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer presented spatial aggregation in 70 counties of Fujian province. Southeast urban agglomerations had high hospitalization rates, while central and western regions had low hospitalization rates. The study found that the spatial distribution of the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer in 2016 was not consistent with that of the PM2.5 concentration in the same year. The concentration of PM2.5 in 2003 and 2004 had the strongest correlation with the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer in 2016, with Pearson correlation coefficient r value of - 0.365 and Geodetector q-statistic value of 0.148 (p < 0.05). Our findings showed that there existed a 13-year lag period of air pollutant PM2.5 on the esophageal cancer hospitalization rate, which can provide helpful guidance in the early screening strategy of esophageal cancer in Fujian. The research progress of this paper will help to understand the lag period of the impact of air pollutants on the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer, provide valuable information for the prevention and treatment strategy of esophageal cancer in Fujian province, and provide relevant experience for alike regions.