Geohealth最新文献

The unprecedented demographic shifts toward an aging population pose significant challenges to global healthcare systems. Understanding the heterogeneity in disease prevalence among the elderly is crucial for effective public health strategies. Using prevalence data of 85 types of age-related diseases, we calculated the global heterogeneity of disease distribution by the Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI). We observed significant geographic variations in disease heterogeneity, with higher SHDI values in high-income Western countries such as the United States of America and Sweden and lower in South Asia and Oceania (p < 0.05). In 2021, SHDI values in elderly populations (age ≥60 years) for Europe and North America countries were an average of 1.12 times higher than in Oceania. While SHDI increases toward higher ages (for instance, in 2021, SHDI for adults above 95 years is 1.06 times higher than for ages between 60 and 64 years), the global SHDI tends to decrease nonlinearly over time. From 1990 to 2021, global age-standardized SHDI (age ≥60 years) averagely decreased by 1.2% for both men and women. Our analysis further revealed that socio-economic factors (e.g., socio-demographic indices, governance) strongly impacted global SHDI changes, while climatic and environmental factors (e.g., extreme climate and air pollution) showed significant differences across genders. Our study highlights the need for implementing comprehensive healthcare strategies, focusing on reducing health disparities and addressing environmental and socio-economic determinants to address inequalities in age-related diseases effectively.

During the first two decades of the 21st century, the level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution in urban atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in China significantly increased. By combining data from more than 6,695 individual samples covering 89 typical cities (population > 0.5 million people) across China, this study focuses on evaluating the health risks to urban residents and the ecological risks to the surrounding environment from PAHs in PM using the methods of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and sediment quality standards. The PAH contents and contamination levels in Central China (CC) were lower than those in South China (SC) and North China (NC). NC exhibited the most severe PAH pollution and greatest ecological risk, while CC had the highest population density and gross domestic product. The incremental lifetime cancer risk and hazard index values for people in NC were greater than those for people in CC and SC, and the health risk increased with increasing latitude. Based on ecological risk criteria and standard assessment methods, PAHs in PM in China pose a potential ecological risk, and the risk of harmful biological effects follows the order of NC > CC > SC. Given the significant risks of PAHs to people, animals and plants at both the national and global scales, under the guidance of the One Health concept of the World Health Organization, it is necessary to comprehensively manage PAHs in PM and reduce their threats to humans and ecosystems.

Wildfire smoke and extreme heat events are worsening in California, but their combined health effects are not well understood. This study estimates joint effects of extreme heat and wildfire smoke on hospitalizations in California, 2011–2020. We used a case crossover design with time-stratified controls and conditional logistic regression to estimate these effects at multiplicative and additive scales. Exposures were assessed for 16 combinations of exposure lags (0–3 days) for extreme heat and wildfire influenced fine particulate matter. Among over 28 million cases of all-natural cause morbidity, the majority were adults aged 65 and older (41.4%), English speakers (85.1%), and White, non-Hispanic (49.7%), mostly residing in urban areas (97.2%). The study found roughly 8% of respiratory morbidities (95% CI, 2.4%–13.8%) were attributable to the interaction of wildfire smoke and extreme heat. Significant joint effects were also observed for cardiovascular (5.5%) and renal morbidities (6.2%). Subgroup analyses revealed stronger effects: Respiratory (19.2%, 95% CI 6.5%–32.1%) and cerebrovascular morbidities (15.7%, 95% CI 4%–27.4%) were most pronounced in Black individuals; older adults (50–64 years) showed strong effects for renal morbidities (15.4%, 95% CI −1.6%−32.6%); and cardiovascular effects were highest among females (9.8%, 95% CI 2.9%–16.7%). Effects on all-natural cause morbidity were generally null. The interaction of wildfire smoke and extreme heat within a short exposure window (4 days) increases hospitalizations; highlighting the need for joint heat and wildfire smoke interventions that target populations at greater risk.

Dust storms are recurring atmospheric phenomena in arid and semiarid regions that decrease air quality and pose significant health risks. However, there is still no consensus on why some dust storms are more toxic than others. To understand the influence of dust on particle size and composition, in vitro experiments were performed evaluating the impact of five different clay minerals: montmorillonites (montmorillonite, Na-rich montmorillonite, and Ca-rich montmorillonite), illite, and kaolinite on human epithelial alveolar cells (A549) utilizing the Single-Cell Analysis. Unlike other population techniques, this analysis monitors each cell individually by coupling fluorescent microscopy with an incubation system to continuously image the cells every 15 min for 48-hr. This live-cell imaging analysis was used to calculate the exact time of death, division rate, and type of death (apoptosis and necrosis). Ca-rich Montmorillonite and Kaolinite were the most and least toxic clays, respectively. Although Ca-rich Montmorillonite caused a significant increase in cell death and a decrease in cell proliferation compared to Kaolinite, both clays had a similar impact on the type of death (necrosis replaced apoptosis as the primary mechanism for cell death). Observations on the exact time of death show a significant increase in the rate of death between 34- and 48-hr post-exposure indicating a possible delay in health impact.

With climate change contributing to an increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events like wildfires, droughts, and hurricanes, there is a growing need for coordinated research efforts to understand the impact of these events on human health. Specialized research frameworks can help interdisciplinary teams organize and visualize complex exposure-health pathways, identify knowledge gaps, and enhance coordination and communication across diverse groups of stakeholders. This article describes the development and application of a conceptual framework for wildfire-related exposures and human health outcomes. This framework serves as a tool for integrating data resources and mapping known and hypothesized connections, between complex wildfire exposures and human health outcomes, across the lifecycle of a wildland urban interface (WUI) fire. We also demonstrate the utility and flexibility of this framework for disaster research settings through two example applications. The first demonstrates an application for studying WUI fires and respiratory health outcomes, and the second example shows how the framework can be expanded to visualize exposure and health modeling with potential biomarkers of exposure and effect. Our GeoHealth Framework for WUI Fires illustrates complex linkages between wildfire related exposures and health outcomes and highlights areas for future study. Given the destruction and complexity of WUI fires, this framework provides an important resource that can assist with evaluating these complex exposure-health relationships, guiding and coordinating data collection, and informing communities and decision-makers to improve response, recovery, and future preparedness for such events in the United States and globally.

The Salton Sea, California's largest lake, is undergoing significant environmental degradation, which has adverse health effects on nearby rural communities, primarily Latinx and Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian. Over the past two decades, the lake's water levels have steadily dropped. Water conditions in the Sea, characterized by low oxygen and high nutrient levels, favor the production of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). This study investigates the connection between the Sea's changing conditions, particularly the worsening water quality, and H₂S emissions using air quality and water quality data collected since 2013 and 2004, respectively. H₂S concentrations often exceed California's air quality standards, particularly in areas near the Sea during summer months. Wind patterns substantially impact detection of H₂S. When wind is blowing from the Sea toward communities with sensors, located to the northwest of the Sea, H₂S is detected significantly more often. Current monitoring efforts underestimate the frequency and distribution of H₂S that exceeds air quality standards. An air sensor deployed in shallow water over the Salton Sea by a community science program detected substantially higher concentrations of H₂S, particularly when wind was blowing over exposed sediment and shallow water, suggesting that these are a significant and overlooked H₂S source at the Salton Sea. These findings highlight the need for improved air quality monitoring and more effective environmental management policies to protect public health in the region. The study emphasizes the importance of community-led solutions and provides insights relevant to other regions experiencing similar environmental crises.

This review examines the impact of breaching planetary boundaries on human health and potential future threats, emphasizing the need for effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. Through a rigorous literature review of 142 high-quality articles, we explore the health implications of breaching planetary boundaries such as climate change, land system change, biodiversity loss, biogeochemical flows, aerosol loading, stratospheric ozone depletion, freshwater use, novel entities, and ocean acidification. Our findings indicate a direct association between breached planetary boundaries and a range of health risks, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, increased infectious disease vulnerability, and nutritional impacts due to compromised food sources. The analysis highlights the disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations and underscores the significance of localized and global strategies in mitigating these health threats. Effective measures, including urban planning for green spaces and pollution control, have been identified as crucial. The review calls for an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to safeguard human health against the backdrop of environmental degradation, stressing the urgency of global collaboration in policy development and implementation.

Floods lead to adverse impacts not only in financial terms but also on the health of the exposed population. We report on health-related Quality of Life (QoL) and functioning in the population affected by the 2021 flooding in Germany using an empirical survey data set. Health-related QoL and functioning are represented by two scores–(a) The EuroQoL 5D Visual Analog Scale (EQ-5D VAS) and (b) The 12-Item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), respectively. By applying an incremental linear regression model and Machine Learning models, we infer that health-related QoL and functioning are strongly negatively related to the psychological burden from those being affected by the flooding. This includes how often they think about the traumatic event. Home owners were found to have worse QoL and functioning than tenants. Household income and the status of repair/reconstruction of flood damages—in specific, insurance benefits, private donation and satisfactory claims compensation are associated with high health-related QoL and functioning. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening the health-related QoL of flood affected populations and emphasizes the strong association between recovery and health-related QoL and functioning of flood-affected populations.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of clinical pneumonia in children. We aimed to investigate the associations between ambient temperature, relative humidity, and pediatric RSV infections, and to assess the disease burden attributable to cold or humid conditions. Daily data on RSV hospitalizations among children aged ≤5 years, mean temperature, and relative humidity in Suzhou, China, from January 2016 to December 2019 were collected. A distributed lag nonlinear model with quasi-Poisson regression was employed to assess the exposure-lag-response associations. Attributable risks were calculated to quantify the disease burden due to climatic factors. We found an inverted U-shaped relationship between temperature and RSV infections, with the cumulative risk of RSV peaking at 7.5°C (RR = 4.30, 95% CI: 3.08–6.02). The exposure-response curves for relative humidity exhibited a generally positive trend, peaking at 100.0% (RR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.84–5.34). Using median values as references, the highest risk effects of extremely low (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04–1.25) and low (RR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.12–1.32) temperatures, as well as high (RR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.13) and extremely high (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.07–1.27) relative humidity, occurred on the day of exposure and persisted for extended periods. The attributable fraction of RSV infections associated with cold or humid conditions was 55.23% (95% CI: 50.01%–64.03%) and 12.02% (95% CI: 9.36%–20.24%), respectively. The risk effect of high relative humidity was stronger in children aged 1–5 years. Our findings suggest nonlinear, lagged associations between climatic factors and pediatric RSV infections, which may inform future healthcare planning and RSV immunization strategies.

A substantial body of research has linked the built environment to obesity risk in older adults, with physical activity reducing obesity risk. Most studies have focused on temperate and subtropical regions; however, results can vary due to different climate characteristics. This study examines Lanzhou, a representative of arid Northwestern China, to explore the nonlinear relationship between the built environment and physical activity among older adults, focusing on the role of green spaces. By using the XGBoost method, we analyze how green spaces and the 5D built environment affect physical activity levels among the obese and standard-weight elderly populations in Lanzhou. Results indicate that green spaces significantly influence physical activity in both groups, with their effect surpassing other environmental and sociodemographic factors. Obese elderly individuals are more influenced by green space quality and accessibility, while standard-weight individuals are more affected by the overall quantity and coverage of green spaces. Obese individuals also rely more on street greening compared with their standard-weight counterparts. In addition, a diverse urban environment and appropriate public transportation distances are crucial for promoting physical activity among the elderly. Low temperatures inhibit physical activity more in obese elderly individuals. Our findings provide insights for policymakers, planners, and designers on optimizing green infrastructure to reduce obesity risks among the elderly in arid regions, ultimately enhancing the urban environment's effectiveness in promoting healthy aging.