Daily temperature change in relation to the risk of childhood bacillary dysentery among different age groups and sexes in a temperate city in China.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, many studies have found that ambient temperature is significantly associated with bacillary dysentery (BD). However, there is limited evidence on the relationship between temperature and childhood BD in temperate areas.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship between daily mean temperature (MT) and childhood BD in China.

METHODS

Data on daily MT and childhood BD between 2006 and 2012 were collected from the Bureau of Meteorology and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Hefei, Anhui Province, China. A Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model was used to analyse the effects of temperature on childhood BD across different age and sex subgroups.

RESULTS

An increase in temperature was significantly associated with childhood BD, and each 1 °C increase corresponded to an increase of 1.58% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.46-2.71%] in the number of cases of BD. Children aged 0-5 years and girls were particularly sensitive to the effects of temperature.

CONCLUSIONS

High temperatures may increase the risk of childhood BD in Hefei. Children aged 0-5 years and girls appear to be particularly sensitive to the effects of high temperature.