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The association between cold spells and pediatric outpatient visits for asthma in Shanghai, China
Yuming Guo1, Fan Jiang, Li Peng
1School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Insights
Cold spells significantly increase pediatric asthma visits. Lower temperatures heighten children's risk for asthma attacks, highlighting the need for winter protection.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma poses a significant global health challenge.
- Limited research exists on the impact of cold spells on pediatric asthma outpatient visits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cold spells and pediatric outpatient visits for asthma.
- Study conducted in Shanghai, China.
Main Methods:
- Collected daily data on pediatric asthma visits, temperature, humidity, and ozone (2007-2009).
- Defined cold spells as >= 4 consecutive days below the 5th temperature percentile.
- Utilized Poisson regression to analyze temperature effects on asthma visits during cold seasons.
Main Results:
- A significant link was found between cold temperatures and pediatric asthma outpatient visits.
- Cold weather effects on children's asthma were observed with varying time lags.
- Decreased temperatures correlated with increased risk of asthma attacks in children.
Conclusions:
- Cold temperatures, especially cold spells, substantially elevate the risk of pediatric asthma visits.
- Findings underscore the necessity of protecting children with asthma from cold exposure during winter.
Background:
Asthma is a serious global health problem. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between cold spells and pediatric outpatient visits for asthma.
Objective:
To examine the association between cold spells and pediatric outpatient visits for asthma in Shanghai, China.
Methods:
We collected daily data on pediatric outpatient visits for asthma, mean temperature, relative humidity, and ozone from Shanghai between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2009. We defined cold spells as four or more consecutive days with temperature below the 5(th) percentile of temperature during 2007-2009. We used a Poisson regression model to examine the impact of temperature on pediatric outpatient visits for asthma in cold seasons during 2007 and 2009. We examined the effect of cold spells on asthma compared with non-cold spell days.
Results:
There was a significant relationship between cold temperatures and pediatric outpatient visits for asthma. The cold effects on children's asthma were observed at different lags. The lower the temperatures, the higher the risk for asthma attacks among children.
Conclusion:
Cold temperatures, particularly cold spells, significantly increase the risk of pediatric outpatient visits for asthma. The findings suggest that asthma children need to be better protected from cold effects in winter.
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