Childhood Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Research Articles

Impact of temperature variation between adjacent days on childhood hand, foot and mouth disease during April and July in urban and rural Hefei, China.

Previous studies have found that both high temperature and low temperature increase the risk of childhood hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). However, little is known about whether temperature variation between neighboring days has any effects on childhood HFMD. A Poisson generalized linear regression model, combined with a distributed lag non-linear model, was applied to examine the relationship between temperature change and childhood HFMD in Hefei, China, from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2012. Temperature change was defined as the difference of current day's mean temperature and previous day's mean temperature. Late spring and early summer (April-July) were chosen as the main study period due to it having the highest childhood HFMD incidence. There was a statistical association between temperature change between neighboring days and childhood HFMD. The effects of temperature change on childhood HFMD increased below a temperature change of 0°C (temperature drop). The temperature change has the greatest adverse effect on childhood HFMD at 7days lag, with 4% (95% confidence interval 2-7%) increase per 3°C drop of temperature. Male children and urban children appeared to be more vulnerable to the effects of temperature change. Temperature change between adjacent days might be an alternative temperature indictor for exploring the temperature-HFMD relationship.

The Impact of Ambient Temperature on Childhood HFMD Incidence in Inland and Coastal Area: A Two-City Study in Shandong Province, China.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has been a substantial burden throughout the Asia-Pacific countries over the past decades. For the purposes of disease prevention and climate change health impact assessment, it is important to understand the temperature–disease association for HFMD in different geographical locations. This study aims to assess the impact of temperature on HFMD incidence in an inland city and a coastal city and investigate the heterogeneity of temperature–disease associations. Daily morbidity data and meteorological variables of the study areas were collected for the period from 2007 to 2012. A total of 108,377 HFMD cases were included in this study. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) with Poisson distribution was used to examine the nonlinear lagged effects of daily mean temperature on HFMD incidence. After controlling potential confounders, temperature showed significant association with HFMD incidence and the two cities demonstrated different impact modes (I2 = 96.1%; p < 0.01). The results highlight the effect of temperature on HFMD incidence and the impact pattern may be modified by geographical localities. Our findings can be a practical reference for the early warning and intervention strategies of HFMD.

Is high relative humidity associated with childhood hand, foot, and mouth disease in rural and urban areas?

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between relative humidity and childhood hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Hefei, China, and to explore whether the effect is different between urban and rural areas. Study designRetrospective ecological study. MethodsA Poisson generalized linear model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model was used to examine the relationship between relative humidity and childhood HFMD in a temperate Chinese city during 2010–2012. ResultsThe effect of relative humidity on childhood HFMD increased above a humidity of 84%, with a 0.34% (95% CI: 0.23%–0.45%) increase of childhood HFMD per 1% increment of relative humidity. Notably, urban children, male children, and children aged 0–4 years appeared to be more vulnerable to the effect of relative humidity on HFMD. ConclusionsThis article study indicates that high relative humidity may trigger childhood HFMD in a temperate area, Hefei, particularly for those who are young and from urban areas.

Associations between extreme precipitation and childhood hand, foot and mouth disease in urban and rural areas in Hefei, China

BackgroundUnderstanding the relationship between extreme weather events and childhood hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is important in the context of climate change. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between extreme precipitation and childhood HFMD in Hefei, China, and further, to explore whether the association varied across urban and rural areas. MethodsDaily data on HFMD counts among children aged 0–14years from 2010 January 1st to 2012 December 31st were retrieved from Hefei Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Daily data on mean temperature, relative humidity and precipitation during the same period were supplied by Hefei Bureau of Meteorology. We used a Poisson linear regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model to assess the association between extreme precipitation (≥90th precipitation) and childhood HFMD, controlling for mean temperature, humidity, day of week, and long-term trend. ResultsThere was a statistically significant association between extreme precipitation and childhood HFMD. The effect of extreme precipitation on childhood HFMD was the greatest at six days lag, with a 5.12% (95% confident interval: 2.7–7.57%) increase of childhood HFMD for an extreme precipitation event versus no precipitation. Notably, urban children and children aged 0–4years were particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme precipitation. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that extreme precipitation may increase the incidence of childhood HFMD in Hefei, highlighting the importance of protecting children from forthcoming extreme precipitation, particularly for those who are young and from urban areas.