# Association between ambient temperature and injuries: A time series analysis using emergency ambulance dispatches in Shanghai

## TL;DR

This study finds that extreme temperatures in Shanghai are linked to specific types of injuries, such as more traffic accidents and assaults during heat and more falls among elderly women in cold weather.

## Contribution

The study identifies vulnerable populations and injury mechanisms associated with extreme temperatures using emergency ambulance data in Shanghai.

## Key findings

- Extreme temperatures are associated with increased injury-related ambulance dispatches, including traffic accidents, falls, and assaults.
- Low temperatures are linked to elevated fall injuries among women aged 46 and above.
- Extreme heat increases traffic accidents and assault injuries among individuals aged 18–45, especially men.

## Abstract

Injuries remain a major cause of death globally amid rising health threats from climate change and extreme weather. This study examined the association between ambient temperatures and different injury mechanisms to identify vulnerable populations in Shanghai.

Injury-related emergency ambulance dispatch records and corresponding meteorological data for the period 2016–2021 were obtained from the Shanghai Emergency Dispatch Center and the Shanghai Meteorological Service. A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) with a quasi-Poisson distribution was applied to evaluate the association between ambient temperatures and injury-related emergency ambulance dispatches. Subgroup analyses were further conducted by gender, age group, and injury mechanisms to identify vulnerable populations.

Extreme temperatures were associated with increases in total injury-related emergency ambulance dispatches, as well as traffic accidents, falls, and assault injuries. Low temperatures were linked to an elevated risk of fall injuries, particularly among women aged 46 years and above. In contrast, extreme heat was associated with increased risks of traffic accidents and assault injuries among individuals aged 18–45, with assault injuries showing a particularly pronounced association among men.

Our findings can guide prehospital emergency service departments in developing targeted interventions to reduce injury incidence and mortality during extreme temperature events.

•High temperatures were linked to more traffic accidents and assaults.•More fall injuries were observed among elderly women during low temperatures.•Young men showed more assault cases under extreme heat conditions.

High temperatures were linked to more traffic accidents and assaults.

More fall injuries were observed among elderly women during low temperatures.

Young men showed more assault cases under extreme heat conditions.