Outdoor Temperature as an Independent Risk Factor for Acute Pharyngitis Incidence: A Preliminary Study

Objective: Acute pharyngitis is common worldwide. Meteorological changes contribute to respiratory infections. This study aims to explore the correlation between acute pharyngitis and meteorological parameters. Methods: We collected the monthly acute pharyngitis cases in our hospital and the meteorological data, including temperature, relative humidity, and air quality index (AQI) of Shanghai, China, from January, 2015, to December, 2017. Pearson correlation and multivariable regression analysis were used to explore the association between meteorological parameters and the monthly hospital visits. Results: A total of 8287 patients were included in this study, and the monthly number of hospital visits was 230.2 ± 39.0. The best air quality index was 46.4 and the worst was 113.2. Temperature ranged from 5.2°C to 32.0°C, and relative humidity ranged from 59.4% to 83.1%. The monthly hospital visits of acute pharyngitis were negatively correlated with temperature (r = -.558, 95% CI -.746, -.274) and relative humidity (r = -.480, 95% CI -.695, -.137). A decrease of 1°C could cause an increase in hospital visits by 1.9. No significant correlation was found were found between acute pharyngitis cases and AQI (P = .051, 95% CI -.005, .590). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed the temperature was the independent risk factor of acute pharyngitis (coefficient = -1.906, P = .022). Conclusion: Low temperature might cause an increased incidence of acute pharyngitis.