Climatic exposures in childhood and the risk of schizophrenia from childhood to early adulthood.

BACKGROUND

Season of birth is a risk factor of schizophrenia, and it is possible that cumulative exposure to climatic factors during childhood affects the risk of schizophrenia. We conducted a cohort study among 365,482 persons born in Finland in 1990-1995 to examine associations of 10-year cumulative exposure to global solar radiation and ambient temperature in childhood with schizophrenia.

METHODS

Data on schizophrenia diagnoses and sociodemographic factors from the Finnish population register and health care register were linked to daily meteorological data using residential information. The study population was followed from age 10 until the first schizophrenia diagnosis, death, emigration or December 31, 2017, whichever came first. Hazard ratios (HR) for the risk of schizophrenia were estimated using Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Compared to the lowest quintile of global solar radiation or ambient temperature, growing up in the second highest quintile (Q4) was associated with greater risk of schizophrenia. These hazard ratios were attenuated after adjustment for parental mental disorder, parental education, parental income, area-level socioeconomic characteristics and urbanicity (HR = 1.29, 95 % CI 1.06-1.58 for radiation; HR = 1.24, 95 % CI, 1.02-1.52 for temperature). Continuous linear terms evaluated in secondary models suggested a greater risk of schizophrenia at greater childhood exposure to global radiation and ambient temperature, but these associations did not remain in fully adjusted models.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no consistent evidence that cumulative exposure to sunlight and ambient temperature in childhood is associated with the risk of developing schizophrenia. Studies in other populations residing in different latitudes are needed.