For children seeking care at an urban pediatric health center in California, extreme heat events were associated with increased hospital visits for asthma, according to research published at the ATS 2024 International Conference.
“We found that both daily high heat events and extreme temperatures lasting several days increased the risk of hospital visits for asthma,” said corresponding author Morgan Ye, MPH, research data analyst in the Division of Pulmonary and Pulmonary Medicine. of Critical Care at the University of California, San Francisco. Francisco School of Medicine. “Understanding the impacts of climate-sensitive events, such as extreme heat, on a vulnerable population is the key to reducing the burden of disease due to climate change.”
Ms. Ye and her colleagues analyzed electronic medical records from 2017-2020 at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, which included data on hospital visits for asthma for the hospital’s patients, some of whom are from the Center for Benioff Oakland Federally Qualified Health, and demographic data including patients. ‘ ZIP codes. They used data from Oregon State University’s PRISM Climate Group to determine the timing of the daily maximum (daytime heat waves) and minimum (nighttime heat waves) for each ZIP code. The researchers limited their analyzes to the region’s warm season (June to September). To assess the potential range of effects of different heat wave measurements, they used 18 different definitions of heat waves, including 99th97.5th and 95th percentile of the total distribution of the study period for one, two or three days.
They designed the study in a way that allowed them to determine the association between each heat wave definition and a hospital visit. They repeated the analysis for ZIP codes in the Bay Area and central California.
The team found that daytime heat waves were significantly associated with children being 19 percent more likely to have hospital visits for asthma, and longer duration of heat waves doubled the odds of hospital visits. They saw no association with nocturnal heat waves.
According to Ye, “We continue to see a rise in global temperatures due to man-made climate change, and we can expect an increase in health-related problems as we see longer, more frequent and severe heat waves. Our research suggests that higher temperatures and longer duration of these very hot days are associated with a higher risk of hospital visits due to asthma. Children and families with lower adaptive capacity will experience the greatest burden. “Therefore, it is important to gain a better understanding of these heat-associated health risks and susceptible populations for future surveillance and targeted interventions.”
The authors note that previous research has suggested positive associations between extreme heat and asthma, but findings regarding hospitalizations and emergency room visits have been conflicting. Additionally, many other studies have focused on respiratory hospitalizations and not asthma hospitalizations specifically, and have not included or focused on children. This study is also unique because it investigated the effect of daily high temperatures but also the effects of persistent temperature extremes.
The San Francisco Bay Area and California in general are unique areas of interest because the state is considered a coastal region with less prevalence of refrigeration units, such as air conditioners. While temperatures may not reach the extremes experienced in other parts of the country, this study demonstrates that even milder extreme heat temperatures can significantly impact health. These effects are most pronounced in climate-susceptible populations, including children and those who are medically vulnerable, such as those served by the urban pediatric health center in this study. The authors hope that the results of this study will lead to more equitable health outcomes and reduce racial/ethnic disparities seen in climate-sensitive events.
“These results can be used to inform targeted actions and resources for vulnerable children and alleviate health-related stress during heat waves,” they conclude.