Average monthly temperature tied to wheezing diseases in kids

Meteorological and environmental factors may be used as early warning signals for wheezing diseases and respiratory virus prevalence in children, a recent China study has found.

Researchers used data from 3,255 children (mean age 2.17 years, 70.23 percent boys) hospitalized with wheezing diseases in Suzhou, China, from 2013 to 2017. Meteorological and environmental data during the same time span were retrieved from the local Meteorological Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau. An autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used to evaluate the impact of meteorological and environmental factors on wheezing diseases in children.

Pneumonia with wheezing was the most common diagnosis (83.2 percent). The prevalence of wheezing also varied by season, peaking during winter (31.46 percent) and was lowest in summer (17.79 percent). Testing for nasopharyngeal secretions was performed in 2,740 children, of whom 29.01 percent had at least one pathogen.

Multiple regression analysis found that of all meteorological factors assessed, monthly mean temperature was the only parameter significantly associated with wheezing diseases (standardized coefficient, –0.647; p=0.001). No such effect was reported for humidity, rainfall, sunshine, or wind velocity. No environmental parameter was associated with wheezing diseases.

The ARIMA model confirmed that temperature, with a 0-month lag, was significantly and inversely correlated with wheezing diseases in children (β, –0.037; p<0.001).

“Temperature was the final factor that was associated with the wheezing disease, reflecting that temperature was a comprehensive factor that could represent other meteorological and environmental factors,” the researchers said. “Children’s respiratory tracts are more sensitive to climate change; thus, a long-term temperature drop or a lower temperature level has an effect on wheezing diseases.”