BUSAN,
South Korea, April 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Climate change has resulted in a
global spike in temperatures, which, in turn, has increased the
likelihood of frequent and intense heatwaves. Amid these
concerns, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
warns that heatwaves increase in intensity, frequency, and duration
with every 0.5°C increase in temperature. Previous research on the
impact of these changes has revealed that extreme heat
disproportionately affects vulnerable groups such as children, the
elderly, individuals with chronic health conditions, and those in
the low-income group. Despite these observations, however, there
are limited studies on the impact of high temperatures on the
health of people with disabilities.
To better understand the impact of extreme heat on public
health, especially on vulnerable population like people with
disabilities, a research team led by Dr. Whanhee Lee from Pusan
National University, Korea, has now
examined the association between heat and patient admissions in the
emergency department. Their study, published in the journal The
Lancet Planetary Health, reveals disparities in admissions and
medical expenses for individuals with disabilities and those
without disabilities.
"Ours is a nationwide study to present scientific data on the
hazardous effects of heat
on the health of people with disabilities," says Dr. Lee.
To this end, the researchers examined the health records of
59,527 beneficiaries with disabilities and 1,060,797 beneficiaries
without disabilities from the Korean National Health Insurance
Service–National Sample Cohort database. They used a statistical
method called conditional logistic regression to examine the link
between short-term exposure to hot temperatures and admissions to
the emergency department (ED) in hospitals during warm seasons
(June to September) between January 1,
2002, to December 31, 2019.
The study covered four types of disabilities — physical, brain
lesion disorders, vision, and hearing impairments — and examined
hospitalizations for cardiovascular, genitourinary, mental, and
respiratory diseases.
The findings revealed that exposure to heat increased the risk
of hospitalizations among individuals with disabilities, especially
due to the occurrence of mental and respiratory diseases. In
addition, individuals with brain lesion disorders and severe
physical disabilities, females, and those older than 65 years were
more vulnerable to the effects of heat exposure. Overall, these
results suggest that people with disabilities faced a 1.07 times
higher risk, with a fourfold increase in ED admissions and seven
times higher medical costs, compared to those without
disabilities.
In South Korea, around 2.7
million people have disabilities, and the number is expected to
rise with an increase in aging population and non-communicable
diseases. In this context, the findings of this study highlight the
need for well-informed public health policies to support and
address the specific needs of this group. For instance, these
policies and decisions can include practical actions addressing
various disability characteristics and healthcare training to
consider the diverse comorbidity of people with disabilities and
the impacts of climate change on their health. Such plans will also
align with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for equal
healthcare access and climate action.
"As far as we know, there are still a limited number of
guidelines against climate change in the context of people with
disabilities. Our study sheds light on the importance of
considering population with disabilities while developing
guidelines against climate change," concludes an
optimistic Dr. Lee.
Reference
Title of original paper: Association between heat and
hospitalizations in persons with disabilities: a nationwide
case-crossover study
Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00027-5
About the Pusan National
University
Website:
https://www.pusan.ac.kr/eng/Main.do
Contact:
Jae-Eun
Lee
82 51 510 7928
376260@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Pusan National University