Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Scabies | Research

Effects of weather and air pollution on outpatient visits for insect-and-mite-caused dermatitis: an empirical and predictive analysis

Authors: Minghua Xiong, Xiaoping Li, Chao Zhang, Shuqun Shen

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Dermatitis caused by insects and mites, diagnosed as papular urticaria or scabies, is a common skin disease. However, there is still a lack of studies about the effects of weather and air pollution on outpatient visits for this disease. This study aims to explore the impacts of meteorological and environmental factors on daily visits of dermatitis outpatients.

Methods

Analyses are conducted on a total of 43,101 outpatient visiting records during the years 2015–2020 from the largest dermatology specialist hospital in Guangzhou, China. Hierarchical cluster models based on Pearson correlation between risk factors are utilized to select regression variables. Linear regression models are fitted to identify the statistically significant associations between the risk factors and daily visits, taking into account the short-term effects of temperatures. Permutation importance is adopted to evaluate the predictive ability of these factors.

Results

Short-term temperatures have positive associations with daily visits and exhibit strong predictive abilities. In terms of total outpatients, the one-day lagged temperature not only has a significant impact on daily visits, but also has the highest median value of permutation importance. This conclusion is robust across most subgroups except for subgroups of summer and scabies, wherein the three-day lagged temperature has a negative effect. By contrast, air pollution has insignificant associations with daily visits and exhibits weak predictive abilities. Moreover, weekdays, holidays and trends have significant impacts on daily visits, but with weak predictive abilities.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that short-term temperatures have positive associations with daily visits and exhibit strong predictive abilities. Nevertheless, air pollution has insignificant associations with daily visits and exhibits weak predictive abilities. The results of this study provide a reference for local authorities to formulate intervention measures and establish an environment-based disease early warning system.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Cardoso AEC, Cardoso AEO, Talhari C, Santos M. Update on parasitic dermatoses. An Bras Dermatol. 2020;95:1–14.PubMedCrossRef
2.
Mehrmal S, Uppal P, Giesey RL, Delost GR. Identifying the prevalence and disability-adjusted life years of the most common dermatoses worldwide. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;82(1):258–9.PubMedCrossRef
3.
Giesey RL, Mehrmal S, Uppal P, Delost ME, Delost GR. Dermatoses of the world: Burden of skin disease and associated socioeconomic status in the world. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021;84(2):556–9.PubMedCrossRef
4.
Stibich AS, Schwartz RA. Papular Urticaria. Cutis. 2001;68(2):89–91.PubMed
5.
6.
Guo Y, Ping LI, Tang J, Han X, Zong W, Wang H, Liu Q, Xiao F, Zou X. Prevalence of skin diseases in pre-school children aged 0–7 years in 12 cities of China. Chinese Journal of Dermatology. 2017;50(11):790–4.
7.
Halpert E, Borrero E, Ibañez-Pinilla M, Chaparro P, Molina J, Torres M, García E. Prevalence of papular urticaria caused by flea bites and associated factors in children 1–6 years of age in Bogotá. DC World Allergy Organ J. 2017;10:36.PubMedCrossRef
8.
Bitar D, Thiolet J, Haeghebaert S, Castor C, Poujol I, Coignard B, Che D. Increasing incidence of scabies in France, 1999–2010, and public health implications. Ann Dermatol Venereol. 2012;139(6–7):428–34.PubMedCrossRef
9.
Dagne H, Dessie A, Destaw B, Yallew WW, Gizaw Z. Prevalence and associated factors of scabies among schoolchildren in Dabat district, northwest Ethiopia, 2018. Environ Health Prev Med. 2019;24(1):1–8.CrossRef
10.
Engelman D, Cantey PT, Marks M, Solomon AW, Chang AY, Chosidow O, Enbiale W, Engels D, Hay RJ, Hendrickx D. Others The public health control of scabies: priorities for research and action. The Lancet. 2019;394(10192):81–92.CrossRef
11.
Liu JM, Wang HW, Chang FW, Liu YP, Chiu FH, Lin YC, Cheng KC, Hsu RJ. The effects of climate factors on scabies. A 14-year population-based study in Taiwan. Parasite. 2016;23:54.
12.
Basu R, Gavin L, Pearson D, Ebisu K, Malig B. Examining the association between apparent temperature and mental health-related emergency room visits in California. Am J Epidemiol. 2018;187(4):726–35.PubMedCrossRef
13.
Yi W, Zhang X, Gao J, Wei Q, Pan R, Duan J, Xu Z, Zhang Y, Bai L, Cheng Q, Others. Examining the association between apparent temperature and admissions for schizophrenia in Hefei, China, 2005--2014: a time-series analysis. Sci Total Environ. 2019;672:1–6.
14.
Lim Y, So R, Lee C, Hong Y, Park M, Kim L, Yoon H. Ambient temperature and hospital admissions for acute kidney injury: a time-series analysis. Sci Total Environ. 2018;616:1134–8.PubMedCrossRefADS
15.
Saucy A, Ragettli MS, Vienneau D, de Hoogh K, Tangermann L, Schäffer B, Wunderli JM, Probst-Hensch N, Röösli M. The role of extreme temperature in cause-specific acute cardiovascular mortality in Switzerland: A case-crossover study. Sci Total Environ. 2021;790:147958.
16.
Wang B, Chai G, Sha Y, Zha Q, Su Y, Gao Y. Impact of ambient temperature on cardiovascular disease hospital admissions in farmers in China’s Western suburbs. Sci Total Environ. 2021;761: 143254.PubMedCrossRefADS
17.
Kapwata T, Wright CY, du Preez DJ, Kunene Z, Mathee A, Ikeda T, Landman W, Maharaj R, Sweijd N, Minakawa N. Others Exploring rural hospital admissions for diarrhoeal disease, malaria, pneumonia, and asthma in relation to temperature, rainfall and air pollution using wavelet transform analysis. Sci Total Environ. 2021;791:148307.PubMedCrossRefADS
18.
Gabriel KM, Endlicher WR. Urban and rural mortality rates during heat waves in Berlin and Brandenburg. Germany Environ Pollut. 2011;159(8–9):2044–50.PubMedCrossRef
19.
Yang J, Zhou M, Li M, Liu X, Yin P, Sun Q, Wang J, Wu H, Wang B, Liu Q. Vulnerability to the impact of temperature variability on mortality in 31 major Chinese cities. Environ Pollut. 2018;239:631–7.PubMedCrossRef
20.
Wondmagegn BY, Xiang J, Dear K, Williams S, Hansen A, Pisaniello D, Nitschke M, Nairn J, Scalley B, Xiao A. Others. Increasing impacts of temperature on hospital admissions, length of stay, and related healthcare costs in the context of climate change in Adelaide, South Australia. 2021;773:145656.
21.
McMichael AJ, Woodruff RE, Hales S. Climate change and human health: present and future risks. The Lancet. 2006;367(9513):859–69.CrossRef
22.
Ghada W, Estrella N, Pfoerringer D, Kanz K, Bogner-Flatz V, Ankerst DP, Menzel A. Effects of weather, air pollution and Oktoberfest on ambulance-transported emergency department admissions in Munich. Germany Sci Total Environ. 2021;755: 143772.PubMedCrossRefADS
23.
Deng X, Brotzge J, Tracy M, Chang HH, Romeiko X, Zhang W, Ryan I, Yu F, Qu Y, Luo G, et al. Identifying joint impacts of sun radiation, temperature, humidity, and rain duration on triggering mental disorders using a high-resolution weather monitoring system. Environ Int. 2022;167:107411.
24.
Bai L, Shin S, Burnett RT, Kwong JC, Hystad P, van Donkelaar A, Goldberg MS, Lavigne E, Copes R, Martin RV, et al. Exposure to ambient air pollution and the incidence of congestive heart failure and acute myocardial infarction: A population-based study of 5.1 million Canadian adults living in Ontario. Environ Int. 2019;132:105004.
25.
Sielski J, Kaziród-Wolski K, Jóźwiak MA, Jóźwiak M. The influence of air pollution by PM2.5, PM10 and associated heavy metals on the parameters of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Sci Total Environ. 2021;788:147541.PubMedCrossRefADS
26.
Bo Y, Chang L, Guo C, Lin C, Lau AK, Tam T, Lao XQ. Reduced ambient PM2.5, better lung function, and decreased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Environ Int. 2021;156:106706.PubMedCrossRef
27.
Wang T, Xu H, Zhu Y, Sun X, Chen J, Liu B, Zhao Q, Zhang Y, Liu L, Fang J, Others. Traffic-related air pollution associated pulmonary pathophysiologic changes and cardiac injury in elderly patients with COPD. J Hazard Mater. 2022;424:127463.
28.
Chu L, Du H, Li T, Lu F, Guo M, Dubrow R, Chen K. Short-term associations between particulate matter air pollution and hospital admissions through the emergency room for urinary system disease in Beijing, China: A time-series study. Environ Pollut. 2021;289: 117858.PubMedCrossRef
29.
Muhsin HA, Steingrimsson S, Oudin A, Åström DO, Carlsen HK. Air pollution and increased number of psychiatric emergency room visits: A case-crossover study for identifying susceptible groups. Environ Res. 2022;204: 112001.PubMedCrossRef
30.
Szyszkowicz M, Willey JB, Grafstein E, Rowe BH, Colman I. Air pollution and emergency department visits for suicide attempts in Vancouver, Canada. Environ Health Insights. 2010;4:EHI--S5662.
31.
Bakian AV, Huber RS, Coon H, Gray D, Wilson P, McMahon WM, Renshaw PF. Acute air pollution exposure and risk of suicide completion. Am J Epidemiol. 2015;181(5):295–303.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
32.
Ostro B, Roth L, Malig B, Marty M. The effects of fine particle components on respiratory hospital admissions in children. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117(3):475–80.PubMedCrossRef
33.
Luginaah IN, Fung KY, Gorey KM, Webster G, Wills C. Association of ambient air pollution with respiratory hospitalization in a government-designated “area of concern”: the case of Windsor. Ontario Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113(3):290–6.PubMedCrossRef
34.
Kim S, Peel JL, Hannigan MP, Dutton SJ, Sheppard L, Clark ML, Vedal S. The temporal lag structure of short-term associations of fine particulate matter chemical constituents and cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations. Environ Health Perspect. 2012;120(8):1094–9.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
35.
Wargon M, Guidet B, Hoang TD, Hejblum G. A systematic review of models for forecasting the number of emergency department visits. Emerg Med J. 2009;26(6):395–9.PubMedCrossRef
36.
Calegari R, Fogliatto FS, Lucini FR, Neyeloff J, Kuchenbecker RS, Schaan BD. Forecasting daily volume and acuity of patients in the emergency department. Comput Math Methods Med. 2016;2016:3863268.
37.
Chen S, Liu X, Wu Y, Xu G, Zhang X, Mei S, Zhang Z, O’Meara M, O’Gara MC, Tan X. Others The application of meteorological data and search index data in improving the prediction of HFMD: A study of two cities in Guangdong Province, China. Sci Total Environ. 2019;652:1013–21.PubMedCrossRefADS
38.
Li J, Li BY, Wei ZJ, Zhao YZ, Li TS. Application research on gated recurrent unit deep learning prediction and graded early warning of emergency department visits based on meteorological environmental data. Biomed Environ Sci. 2020;33(10):817–20.PubMed
39.
Wang F, Zhang C, Zhang H, Xu L. Short-term physician rescheduling model with feature-driven demand for mental disorders outpatients. Omega. 2021;105: 102519.CrossRef
40.
Yang L, Zhang X, Zhao P, Chen Z, Ke W, Ren X, Wang L, Chen W, Tucker JD. Gonorrhea and chlamydia prevalence in different anatomical sites among men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional study in Guangzhou. China BMC Infect Dis. 2018;18(1):1–7.
41.
Guo P, Feng W, Zheng M, Lv J, Wang L, Liu J, Zhang Y, Luo G, Zhang Y, Deng C. Others Short-term associations of ambient air pollution and cause-specific emergency department visits in Guangzhou, China. Sci Total Environ. 2018;613:306–13.PubMedCrossRefADS
42.
43.
Jiao A, Xiang Q, Ding Z, Cao J, Ho HC, Chen D, Cheng J, Yang Z, Zhang F, Yu Y. Short-term impacts of ambient fine particulate matter on emergency department visits: comparative analysis of three exposure metrics. Chemosphere. 2020;241: 125012.PubMedCrossRef
44.
Karcı A, Balcıoğlu IA. Investigation of the tetracycline, sulfonamide, and fluoroquinolone antimicrobial compounds in animal manure and agricultural soils in Turkey. Sci Total Environ. 2009;407(16):4652–64.PubMedCrossRefADS
45.
Lefèvre M, Chaumond A, Champelovier P, Allemand LG, Lambert J, Laumon B, Evrard A. Understanding the relationship between air traffic noise exposure and annoyance in populations living near airports in France. Environ Int. 2020;144: 106058.PubMedCrossRef
46.
Zhang Q, Wu Z, Guo G, Zhang H, Tarolli P. Explicit the urban waterlogging spatial variation and its driving factors: The stepwise cluster analysis model and hierarchical partitioning analysis approach. Sci Total Environ. 2021;763: 143041.PubMedCrossRefADS
47.
Lin X, Liao Y, Hao Y. The burden associated with ambient PM2. 5 and meteorological factors in Guangzhou, China, 2012--2016: A generalized additive modeling of temporal years of life lost. Chemosphere. 2018;212:705–14.PubMedCrossRefADS
48.
Lin X, Du Z, Liu Y, Hao Y. The short-term association of ambient fine particulate air pollution with hypertension clinic visits: A multi-community study in Guangzhou. China Sci Total Environ. 2021;774: 145707.PubMedCrossRefADS
49.
Altmann A, Toloşi L, Sander O, Lengauer T. Permutation importance: a corrected feature importance measure. Bioinformatics. 2010;26(10):1340–7.PubMedCrossRef
50.
Ariano R, Canonica GW, Passalacqua G. Possible role of climate changes in variations in pollen seasons and allergic sensitizations during 27 years. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010;104(3):215–22.PubMedCrossRef
51.
Michaud B, Gouvis-Echraghi R, Candon S, Couderc R, Jais JP, Bach JF, Chatenoud L, Just J. Quantification of circulating house dust mite-specific IL-4-and IL-13-secreting T cells correlates with rhinitis severity in asthmatic children and varies with the seasons. Clin Exp Allergy. 2014;44(2):222–30.PubMedCrossRef
52.
Yoo E, Eum Y, Roberts JE, Gao Q, Chen K. Association between extreme temperatures and emergency room visits related to mental disorders: A multi-region time-series study in New York, USA. Sci Total Environ. 2021;792: 148246.PubMedCrossRefADS
53.
Gao K, Yang Y, Qu X. Examining nonlinear and interaction effects of multiple determinants on airline travel satisfaction. Transp Res Part D: Transp Environ. 2021;97: 102957.CrossRef
54.
Engebretsen KA, Johansen JD, Kezic S, Linneberg A, Thyssen JP. The effect of environmental humidity and temperature on skin barrier function and dermatitis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016;30(2):223–49.PubMedCrossRef
55.
Cramer MN, Gagnon D, Laitano O, Crandall CG. Human temperature regulation under heat stress in health, disease, and injury. Physiol Rev. 2022;102(4):1907–89.PubMedPubMedCentralCrossRef
56.
White F, Cobos G, Soter NA. Local heat urticaria. Dermatol Online J. 2017;23(12):10.
57.
Nie Y, Liu L, Xue S, Yan L, Ma N, Liu X, Liu R, Wang X, Wang Y, Zhang X. The association between air pollution, meteorological factors, and daily outpatient visits for urticaria in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China: a time series analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023;30(4):10664–82.PubMedCrossRef
58.
Narla S, Hsu DY, Thyssen JP, Silverberg JI. Inpatient financial burden of atopic dermatitis in the United States. J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(7):1461–7.PubMedCrossRef
59.
Paulo MS, Symanzik C, Ádam B, Gobba F, Kezic S, van der Molen HF, Peters CE, Rocholl M, Tenkate T, John SM. Risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma due to occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2023;18(3): e282664.CrossRef
60.
Abolhasani R, Araghi F, Tabary M, Aryannejad A, Mashinchi B, Robati RM. The impact of air pollution on skin and related disorders: a comprehensive review. Dermatol Ther. 2021;34(2): e14840.PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Effects of weather and air pollution on outpatient visits for insect-and-mite-caused dermatitis: an empirical and predictive analysis
Authors
Minghua Xiong
Xiaoping Li
Chao Zhang
Shuqun Shen
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18067-y

Other articles of this Issue 1/2024

BMC Public Health 1/2024 Go to the issue

Research

An integrated FoodNet in North East India: fostering one health approach to fortify public health

Research

Predictors associated with an increase in daily steps among people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes participating in a two-year pedometer intervention

Research

Smoke exposure, hemoglobin levels and the prevalence of anemia: a cross-sectional study in urban informal settlement in Southern Ghana

Research

Multimorbidity, healthy lifestyle, and the risk of cognitive impairment in Chinese older adults: a longitudinal cohort study

Research

The relationship between self-consciousness and depression in college students: the chain mediating effect of meaning life and self-efficacy, with the moderating effect of social support

Research

Diabetes, life course and childhood socioeconomic conditions: an empirical assessment for Mexico