Risk of Hospitalization for Genitourinary System Diseases Following Exposure to Cold Spells.
- Author:
Qing Hua SUN
1
;
Chen CHEN
1
;
Jie BAN
1
;
Han Shuo ZHANG
1
;
Jing Yi SUN
1
;
Hang DU
1
;
Tian Tian LI
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: Cold spells; Genitourinary system diseases; Hospitalization risk; Subgroup analysis
- MeSH: Humans; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data*; Male; Female; Cold Temperature/adverse effects*; Infant; Child, Preschool; Middle Aged; Adult; Child; Aged; Adolescent; Young Adult; Beijing/epidemiology*; Female Urogenital Diseases/etiology*; Male Urogenital Diseases/etiology*; Infant, Newborn; Risk Factors
- From: Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(11):1369-1377
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:To assess relationships between cold spells and genitourinary hospitalization risk.
METHODS:Hospitalization records for genitourinary system diseases (GUDs) from 16 districts in Beijing (2013-2018) were analyzed. Cold spells were defined based on varying intensity thresholds. A two-stage analytical method was employed: first, generalized linear models assessed district-specific associations between cold spells and hospitalizations; second, random-effects meta-analysis aggregated the district-level results. Subgroup analyses were performed by admission type (emergency vs. outpatient), age, and sex.
RESULTS:A total of 271,579 GUD-related hospitalizations were recorded. Cold spells (p1day2，daily mean temperature below the 1 st percentiles of the daily mean temperature distribution from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2018, lasting for two or more consecutive days) were linked to a significant rise in hospitalization risks: 1.43 (95% CI: 1.32-1.56) for all GUDs, 1.35 (95% CI: 1.23-1.49) for urinary system diseases, and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.28-1.67) for renal failure, when compared to non-cold spell days. Emergency admissions showed higher risk increases than outpatient admissions.
CONCLUSION:Extreme cold spells significantly elevate hospitalization risks for GUDs. This highlights the urgent need for targeted public health interventions to mitigate cold-related health impacts, especially for vulnerable populations.
