Key result
Temperature and humidity were positively associated with HFMD incidence, with temperature showing a 1.7% increase (95% CI 0.1%-3.3%) at lag 0 days.
Why the study?
Hand-foot-mouth disease affects thousands of children annually in Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta Region, prompting an analysis of provincial and regional climate effects.
Observational
Yes
Effect estimate: 1.7% (95% CI 0.1%-3.3%)
Temperature and humidity are positively associated with HFMD incidence in the Mekong Delta Region, while rainfall has a negative association, which could inform environment-based early warning systems.
May inform HFMD surveillance; leaves open causal mechanisms and intervention targets.
Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is an emerging infectious disease that affects thousands of children every year in Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta Region (MDR). This study aims to analyse both provincial and regional level effects of climate factors on HFMD in multiple provinces of this high-risk region. Generalized linear models were used to analyse the daily effects of average temperature, humidity and rainfall on HFMD incidence in each province (provincial-level effects), and random-effect meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled effect size of these climate-HFMD associations (regional-level effects). Daily effects of the climate factors on HFMD were found at both provincial level and regional level. At provincial level, temperature and humidity had statistically significant positive associations with HFMD while rainfall had both positive and negative associations with HFMD at different lag days. At regional level, temperature and humidity were positively associated with HFMD at lag 0 days (1.7%; 95%CI 0.1%-3.3%) and at lag 3 days (0.3%; 95%CI 0.1%-0.5%), respectively. In contrast, rainfall was found to be negatively associated with HFMD at lag 5 days (- 0.3%; 95%CI - 0.4% to - 0.1%). Heterogeneities of the effects of rainfall on HFMD were found to be higher than those of temperature or humidity. This is the first study to address the climate-HFMD associations in multiple provinces of the MDR. These associations draw attention to climate-related health issues and will help in developing an environment-based early warning system for HFMD prevention and control.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Nguyen et al. (2019) conducted an observational in Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD). Climate factors (temperature, humidity, rainfall) was evaluated on HFMD incidence associated with temperature at lag 0 days (1.7%, 95% CI 0.1%-3.3%). Temperature and humidity were positively associated with HFMD incidence, with temperature showing a 1.7% increase (95% CI 0.1%-3.3%) at lag 0 days.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: