A Comparison of the Effect of Diurnal Temperature Range and Apparent Temperature on Cardiovascular Disease among Farmers in Qingyang, Northwest China
Abstract Background Apparent temperature (AT) and diurnal temperature range (DTR) have been extensively used to evaluate the effects of temperature on cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few studies have analyzed and compared their effects on CVD in less-developed, rural areas of China. Methods A case-only analysis was conducted of 43,567 cases of CVD morbidity in Qingyang (Northwest China) in 2011–2017 and the effects of thermal indicators were assessed using distributed lag nonlinear modelling and a Poisson regression model. Data on CVD morbidity originated from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance of Gansu Province and meteorological variables were provided by the Meteorological Science Data Sharing Service. Results Both AT and DTR had significant nonlinear and delayed impacts on hospital admissions for CVD. DTR had a stronger and more persistent effect on CVD incidence than AT. Women were more affected by high AT and low DTR than were men, while men were more vulnerable to low AT and high DTR. Temperature effects were not significantly different between people above and below 65 years of age. Conclusions These findings provide local public health authorities with reference data concerning sensitive temperature indices for susceptible populations with a view to improving CVD preventive strategies in rural areas.