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Journal Article Ppublish 15 citations

PubMed: 38829734 DOI: 10.1289/EHP13237

The Joint Effects of Thunderstorms and Power Outages on Respiratory-Related Emergency Visits and Modifying and Mediating Factors of This Relationship.

Environ Health Perspect 132(6):67002

Authors: Shao Lin, Quan Qi, Han Liu, Xinlei Deng, Ian Trees, Xiaojun Yuan, Mary P Gallant

Affiliations

  • Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA.
  • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA.
  • Department of Economics, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA.
  • Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
  • Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
  • Epidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
  • Department of Information Sciences and Technology, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA.
  • Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

While limited studies have evaluated the health impacts of thunderstorms and power outages (POs) separately, few have assessed their joint effects. We aimed to investigate the individual and joint effects of both thunderstorms and POs on respiratory diseases, to identify disparities by demographics, and to examine the modifications and mediations by meteorological factors and air pollution.

METHODS

Distributed lag nonlinear models were used to examine exposures during three periods (i.e., days with both thunderstorms and POs, thunderstorms only, and POs only) in relation to emergency department visits for respiratory diseases (2005-2018) compared to controls (no thunderstorm/no PO) in New York State (NYS) while controlling for confounders. Interactions between thunderstorms and weather factors or air pollutants on health were assessed. The disparities by demographics and seasons and the mediative effects by particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter () and relative humidity (RH) were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Thunderstorms and POs were independently associated with total and six subtypes of respiratory diseases in NYS [highest risk ratio (RR) = 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08, 1.17], but the impact was stronger when they co-occurred (highest RR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.22, 1.70), especially during grass weed, ragweed, and tree pollen seasons. The stronger thunderstorm/PO joint effects were observed on chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, bronchitis, and asthma (lasted 0-10 d) and were higher among residents who lived in rural areas, were uninsured, were of Hispanic ethnicity, were 6-17 or over 65 years old, and during spring and summer. The number of comorbidities was significantly higher by 0.299-0.782/case. Extreme cold/heat, high RH, , and ozone concentrations significantly modified the thunderstorm-health effect on both multiplicative and additive scales. Over 35% of the thunderstorm effects were mediated by and RH.

CONCLUSION

Thunderstorms accompanied by POs showed the strongest respiratory effects. There were large disparities in thunderstorm-health associations by demographics. Meteorological factors and air pollution levels modified and mediated the thunderstorm-health effects. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13237.

MeSH

Air Pollution, Emergencies, Air, Environmental Pollution, Environmental Health, Environment, Demography

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