Keywords
1. Temperature mortality association
2. Sichuan Basin climate impact
3. Non-accidental deaths temperature
4. Climate health risks China
5. Temperature-related mortality burden
As the world grapples with the consequences of global climate change, the relationship between ambient temperature and mortality has become a critical public health concern. A groundbreaking study recently published in the journal Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine has shed new light on this association within the distinctive climatic setting of China’s Sichuan Basin.
The study, led by a team of eminent researchers including Xia Yizhang and colleagues from various disease control and prevention centers and public health institutions across Sichuan, employed a multi-city time series analysis approach to examine the link between temperature fluctuations and non-accidental mortality in the region. Their findings suggest a profound impact of non-optimal temperatures on death rates, underscoring the urgency of climate-informed health policies.
The researchers meticulously gathered daily mortality data, alongside meteorological and air pollution records, for four cities nestled in the Sichuan Basin. The comprehensive dataset paved the way for a nuanced investigation employing a two-stage time-series analysis, allowing the team to quantify the relationship between temperature changes and mortality in each selected city.
Intriguingly, the study uncovered that 10.16% of non-accidental deaths in the region could be traced back to non-optimal temperature conditions. Delving deeper, the researchers noted a stark discrepancy in temperature-related mortality: the cold claimed more lives than the heat, with low temperatures accounting for 9.10% of non-accidental deaths compared to heat effects at just 1.06%.
Moreover, the study highlighted that the mortality burden attributable to non-optimal temperatures was disproportionately higher among specific demographics. Individuals under the age of 65, females, those with low educational attainment, and individuals with alternative marital status bore the brunt of temperature-related mortality risks.
The research, DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.23-00118, was supported by a multivariate meta-analysis to draw overarching conclusions regarding the cumulative risk across multiple cities. This rigorous statistical technique allowed the team to provide a compelling case for the association between temperature and mortality.
The findings of the study resonate with arguments put forward in seminal works such as Haines and Ebi’s discourse on climate action to protect health (DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra1807873), and the critical reviews of climate models by Schewe et al. (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08745-6). Together, these pieces form a narrative that underscores the urgent need to address health risks associated with climate extremes.
Moreover, the study’s outcomes are aligned with global trends in temperature-mortality relationships. As Gasparrini et al.’s multicountry observational study highlighted, the mortality risk due to high and low ambient temperatures is a universal public health challenge (DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(14)62114-0).
Relevant literature, such as the work by Aklilu et al. on cardiovascular admissions in Beijing (DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109455), and the study by Huber et al. on excess mortality in German cities (DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109447), emphasize the broader relevance of temperature-related mortality risks. This body of evidence corroborates the Sichuan Basin study’s implications, illustrating the critical intersection of climate change and health.
The Sichuan Basin study represents a significant addition to environmental health literature, offering not only regional insights but also reinforcing global calls for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The team’s methodology, particularly the use of attributive fractions (AFs) to assess mortality burden, stands as a testament to innovative approaches in epidemiological research.
The urgency of findings from the Sichuan Basin study parallels narratives circumscribed by Jacobson et al. (DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00366) and Leon and Bouchama (DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c140017) about the health perils of temperature extremes. These contributions collectively serve as a clarion call for immediate and sustained public health initiatives to cushion vulnerable populations against the fatal impacts of climate variability.
In conclusion, Xia Yizhang and colleagues have provided compelling evidence on the critical links between non-optimal temperatures and mortality within the Sichuan Basin. As the planet confronts escalating climate challenges, their research underscores the need to fuse climate science with public health measures to forge a shield against the detrimental health effects of temperature extremes.
This study not only advances our understanding of climate-related health risks but also beckons policymakers and health practitioners to devise and implement strategies that protect communities, especially the most susceptible groups, from the silent yet pervasive threat of temperature-induced mortality.
References
1. Haines A, Ebi K. The Imperative for Climate Action to Protect Health. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(3):263–73. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1807873.
2. Schewe J, Gosling SN, Reyer C, et al. State-of-the-art global models underestimate impacts from climate extremes. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):1005. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08745-6.
3. Gasparrini A, Guo Y, Hashizume M, et al. Mortality risk attributable to high and low ambient temperature: a multicountry observational study. Lancet. 2015;386(9991):369–75. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(14)62114-0.
4. Aklilu D, Wang T, Amsalu E, et al. Short-term effects of extreme temperatures on cause-specific cardiovascular admissions in Beijing, China. Environ Res. 2020;186:109455. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109455.
5. Huber V, Krummenauer L, Pena-Ortiz C, et al. Temperature-related excess mortality in German cities at 2 degrees C and higher degrees of global warming. Environ Res. 2020;186:109447. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109447.
The discussed study: Xia Yizhang Y et al. (2024). Association between temperature and mortality: a multi-city time series study in Sichuan Basin, southwest China. Environ Health Prev Med. 29. doi: 10.1265/ehpm.23-00118.