Help-seeking Behavior During Elevated Temperature in Chinese Population

Overview

Journal J Urban Health

Publisher Springer

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2011 Jul 16

PMID 21761264

Citations 11

Authors

Emily Ying Yang Chan

William B Goggins

Jacqueline Jakyoung Kim

Sian Griffiths

Timothy K W Ma

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The negative impact of extreme temperatures on health is well-established. Individual help-seeking behavior, however, may mitigate the extent of morbidity and mortality during elevated temperatures. This study examines individual help-seeking behavior during periods of elevated temperatures among a Chinese population. Help-seeking patterns and factors that influence behavior will be identified so that vulnerable subgroups may be targeted for health protection during heat crises. A retrospective time-series Poisson generalized additive model analysis, using meteorological data of Hong Kong Observatory and routine emergency help call data from The Hong Kong Senior Citizen Home Safety Association during warm seasons (June-September) 1998-2007, was conducted. A "U"-shaped association was found between daily emergency calls and daily temperature. About 49% of calls were for explicit health-related reasons including dizziness, shortness of breath, and general pain. The associate with maximum temperature was statistically significant (p = 0.034) with the threshold temperature at which the frequency of health-related calls started to increase being around 30-32°C. Mean daily relative humidity (RH) also had a significant U-shaped association with daily emergency health-related calls with call frequency beginning to increase with RH greater than 70-74% (10-25% of the RH distribution). Call frequency among females appeared to be more sensitive to high temperatures, with a threshold between 28.5°C and 30.5°C while calls among males were more sensitive to cold temperatures (threshold 31.5-33.5°C). Results indicate differences in community help-seeking behavior at elevated temperatures. Potential programs or community outreach services might be developed to protect vulnerable subgroups from the adverse impact of elevated temperatures.

Citing Articles

Suitable temperature indicator for adverse health impacts in sub-tropical cities: a case study in Hong Kong from 2010-2019.

Ho J, Guo Y, Chong K, Chan P, Ho C, Law H Int J Biometeorol. 2024; 69(1):233-244.

PMID: 39476018 PMC: 11680666. DOI: 10.1007/s00484-024-02807-1.

The effect of temperature on physical activity: an aggregated timeseries analysis of smartphone users in five major Chinese cities.

Ho J, Goggins W, Mo P, Chan E Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2022; 19(1):68.

PMID: 35701809 PMC: 9195465. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-022-01285-1.

Effects of ambient temperature on ambulance emergency call-outs in the subtropical city of Shenzhen, China.

Zhan Z, Yu Y, Qian J, Song Y, Chen P, Ou C PLoS One. 2018; 13(11):e0207187.

PMID: 30419000 PMC: 6231653. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207187.

Staying cool in a changing climate: Reaching vulnerable populations during heat events.

Sampson N, Gronlund C, Buxton M, Catalano L, White-Newsome J, Conlon K Glob Environ Change. 2018; 23(2):475-484.

PMID: 29375195 PMC: 5784212. DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2012.12.011.

The effect of ambient temperature on type-2-diabetes: case-crossover analysis of 4+ million GP consultations across England.

Hajat S, Haines A, Sarran C, Sharma A, Bates C, Fleming L Environ Health. 2017; 16(1):73.

PMID: 28701216 PMC: 5506566. DOI: 10.1186/s12940-017-0284-7.

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