268269 Epidemiological relationship between temperature and injury in an urban Chinese City

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Emily Chan, MD, SM PIH , Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
William Goggins, ScD , School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
PoYi Lee, BSc MPH , Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Janice Yue, MPH , Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Jamie Rocio Rodas, MPH , Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Gemma Gao, PhD , Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Introduction: There are limited studies that examine how injury patterns might be affected by elevated temperature in urban cities of Asia. Study objectives are to: 1) examine the relationship between temperature and injury related hospital admissions in Hong Kong, and 2) identify high-risk demographic subgroups related to temperature/injury patterns.

Method: A retrospective, ecological, generalized additive (Poisson) temperature- injury model study of routine hospital, weather and pollution data from 1998-2008. Health outcomes (ICD 10) included unintentional (ICD-10: S00-T32, V01-X59)) and intentional injuries (ICD-10: X60-X84, X85-Y09), daily weather variables (mean daily temperatures, dew point temperatures, and mean humidity), pollution data (NO2, SO2, O3, and PM10) were obtained from Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA), Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (EPD) respectively. Individual socioeconomic proxy variable was constructed by matching individual district of residence with area median income.

Results: 82% of all hospital admissions in Hong Kong was included during the study period. Daily accidental injury (n=804702) admissions were found to be positively associated with solar radiation but inversely associated with temperature(p < .0001) and mean wind speed. 1 C drop in mean temperature over the preceeding 10 days was associated with a 0.9% increase of accidents admission. A seasonal pattern was found for the intentional injury admissions(n=19876). 1 C rise was associated with 0.77% increase of same day intentional injury admissions(p = .003).

Conclusion: This is the first study in Asia to examine the epidemiological association of temperature and injury outcomes. Findings will support evidence based injury prevention policy.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
-To examine the impact of temperature on unintentional and intentional injury patterns in urban Chinese Communities -To identify high risk population subgroups for injury in urban Chinese communities -To discuss the merits of using GAM models to examine temperature/morbidity outcomes

Keywords: Climate Change, Injury

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a Graduate Research Fellow of the CCOUC and was involved in the data analysis and final report writing of this project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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