Article: Air pollution and asthma hospitalisations in New York City: a borough-level information analysis of spatial, seasonal, and socio-economic determinants Journal: International Journal of Business Information Systems (IJBIS) 2026 Vol.52 No.9 pp.1 - 35 Abstract: Air pollution drives asthma hospitalisations across New York City's boroughs in ways that are neither uniform nor accidental. This study examines how PM2.5, NO2 and O3 exposure translates into asthma hospital admissions with borough-level data showing seasonal spikes. The analysis applies quality analytics methods to analyse factors that drive undesirable outcomes. The picture that emerges shows traffic density feeding elevated NO2, industrial zoning compounding PM2.5 loads, and neighbourhood-level poverty reducing the buffer between exposure and severe health consequences rather than pollution causing hospitalisations. Healthcare utilisation dropped sharply in 2020; asthma exacerbation patterns shifted and temporary pollution reductions during lockdowns introduced a confounding variable that the analysis accounts. Indoor exposures, fungal contamination in housing stock and the physical toll of poorly controlled asthma conditions factor in as well. Our findings point toward specific intervention targets where an emission controls near freight corridors and clinic-level early warning systems informed by pollutant monitoring data. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Air pollution and asthma hospitalisations in New York City: a borough-level information analysis of spatial, seasonal, and socio-economic determinants

Authors: Niranjan Pati; Mayank Anand

Addresses: Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University, NJ, 08028, USA ' College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, NJ, 08028, USA

Abstract: Air pollution drives asthma hospitalisations across New York City's boroughs in ways that are neither uniform nor accidental. This study examines how PM_2.5, NO₂ and O₃ exposure translates into asthma hospital admissions with borough-level data showing seasonal spikes. The analysis applies quality analytics methods to analyse factors that drive undesirable outcomes. The picture that emerges shows traffic density feeding elevated NO₂, industrial zoning compounding PM_2.5 loads, and neighbourhood-level poverty reducing the buffer between exposure and severe health consequences rather than pollution causing hospitalisations. Healthcare utilisation dropped sharply in 2020; asthma exacerbation patterns shifted and temporary pollution reductions during lockdowns introduced a confounding variable that the analysis accounts. Indoor exposures, fungal contamination in housing stock and the physical toll of poorly controlled asthma conditions factor in as well. Our findings point toward specific intervention targets where an emission controls near freight corridors and clinic-level early warning systems informed by pollutant monitoring data.

Keywords: particulate; asthma; PM_2.5; nitrogen dioxide; socio-economic deprivation; quality analytics; Pareto analysis; borough-level variations; seasonal variability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2026.155960

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2026 Vol.52 No.9, pp.1 - 35

Received: 20 Jun 2026
Accepted: 29 Jul 2026
Published online: 27 Aug 2026 *

Title: Air pollution and asthma hospitalisations in New York City: a borough-level information analysis of spatial, seasonal, and socio-economic determinants

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