AUTHOR=Han Yaofeng , Sheng Qilin , Fang Ya 

TITLE=Exploring the Spatial Distribution of Rheumatic Diseases and Its Correlation With Temperature and Humidity Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults in China

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604782

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604782

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of rheumatic diseases and its correlation with temperature and humidity among middle-aged and elderly adults in China from a spatial perspective.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Data on rheumatic diseases among middle-aged and elderly adults were sourced from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Moran’s <italic>I</italic> was applied to explore the spatial autocorrelation of rheumatic diseases. Spatial lag model (SLM) was established to probe the correlation between rheumatic diseases and temperature and humidity.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The age-standardized prevalence of rheumatic diseases was 33.2% for middle-aged and elderly adults in China, varying from 12.0% to 51.4% depending on regions. The Global Moran’s <italic>I</italic> was 0.506 (<italic>p</italic> = 0.001). Average temperature had negative correlation while average relative humidity had positive correlation with age-standardized prevalence of rheumatic diseases in the SLM.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The age-standardized prevalence of rheumatic diseases of middle-aged and elderly adults showed spatial autocorrelation in China. We recommend taking measures to prevent rheumatic diseases for the middle-aged and elderly adults, especially for those living in cold and humid regions.</p>