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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Feb 16:10:839204.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.839204. eCollection 2022.

Estimation of Relative Risk of Mortality and Economic Burden Attributable to High Temperature in Wuhan, China

Si Chen  1 , Junrui Zhao  1 , Soo-Beom Lee  2 , Seong Wook Kim  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Estimation of Relative Risk of Mortality and Economic Burden Attributable to High Temperature in Wuhan, China

Si Chen et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

In the context of climate change, most of the global regions are facing the threat of high temperature. Influenced by tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific Ocean, high temperatures are more likely to occur in central China, and the economic losses caused by heat are in urgent need of quantification to form the basis for health decisions. In order to study the economic burden of high temperature on the health of Wuhan residents between 2013 and 2019, we employed meta-analysis and the value of statistical life (VSL) approach to calculate the relative risk of high temperature health endpoints, the number of premature deaths, and the corresponding economic losses in Wuhan City, China. The results suggested that the pooled estimates of relative risk of death from high temperature health endpoints was 1.26 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15, 1.39]. The average number of premature deaths caused by high temperature was estimated to be 77,369 (95% CI: 48,906-105,198) during 2013-2019, and the induced economic losses were 156.1 billion RMB (95% CI: 92.28-211.40 billion RMB), accounting for 1.81% (95% CI: 1.14-2.45%) of Wuhan's annual GDP in the seven-year period. It can be seen that high temperature drives an increase in the premature deaths, and the influence of high temperature on human health results in an economic burden on the health system and population in Wuhan City. It is necessary for the decision-makers to take measures to reduce the risk of premature death and the proportion of economic loss of residents under the impacts of climate change.

Keywords: economic burden; high temperature; meta-analysis; mortality relative risk; value of statistical life (VSL).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Geographical location of Wuhan.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Research route flowchart.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Flow chart of literature selection.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot of relative risk and 95% CI for relationship between the high temperature and health endpoints.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Economic loss from high temperature and the corresponding 95% confidence interval in Wuhan, 2013–2019: (A) economic loss; (B) proportion of GDP.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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