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. 2024 May 30:12:1343550.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1343550. eCollection 2024.

Short-term effects of temperature-related indices on emergency ambulance dispatches due to mental and behavioral disorders in Shenzhen, China

Ziming Yin #  1 , Maidina Jingesi #  1 , Zhao Yin  2 , Siyi Chen  1 , Suli Huang  3 , Jinquan Cheng  3 , Xiaoheng Li  4 , Ning Liu  4 , Peng Wang  1 , Ping Yin  1 , Hongwei Jiang  1
Affiliations

Short-term effects of temperature-related indices on emergency ambulance dispatches due to mental and behavioral disorders in Shenzhen, China

Ziming Yin et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: The precise associations between temperature-related indices and mental and behavioral disorders (MBDs) have yet to be fully elucidated. Our study aims to ascertain the most effective temperature-related index and assess its immediate impact on emergency ambulance dispatches (EADs) due to MBDs in Shenzhen, China.

Methods: EADs data and meteorological data from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2020, in Shenzhen were collected. Distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs) were utilized to examine the non-linear and lagged effects of temperature-related indices on EADs due to MBDs. The Quasi Akaike Information criterion (QAIC) was used to determine the optimal index after standardizing temperature-related indices. After adjusting for confounding factors in the model, we estimated the immediate and cumulative effects of temperature on EADs due to MBDs.

Results: The analysis of short-term temperature effects on EADs due to MBDs revealed Humidex as the most suitable index. Referring to the optimal Humidex (3.2th percentile, 12.00°C), we observed a significant effect of Humidex over the threshold (34.6th percentile, 26.80°C) on EADs due to MBDs at lag 0-5. The cumulative relative risks for high temperature (90th percentile, 41.90°C) and extreme high temperature (99th percentile, 44.20°C) at lag 0-5 were 1.318 (95% CI: 1.159-1.499) and 1.338 (95% CI: 1.153-1.553), respectively. No significant cold effect was observed on EADs due to MBDs.

Conclusion: High Humidex was associated with more EADs due to MBDs in subtropical regions. Health authorities should implement effective measures to raise public awareness of risks related to high temperature and protect vulnerable populations.

Keywords: distributed lag non-linear models; emergency ambulance dispatches; humidity index; mental and behavioral disorders; temperature related indices.

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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
Lag-response curves for ten temperature-related indices associated with EADs due to MBDs at standardized Z values = 1 or −1 (With optimal value as a reference).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cumulative relative risks of ten temperature-related indices (standardized values and temperature indices) associated with EADs due to MBDs (lag 0–5).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cumulative relative risks of Humidex associated with EADs due to MBDs at lag 0–5.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cumulative relative risks of Humidex associated with EADs due to MBDs stratified by sex and age at lag 0–5.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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