Health Disparity Resulting from the Effect of Built Environment on Temperature-Related Mortality in a Subtropical Urban Setting

Zhe Huang, Emily Ying-Yang Chan, Chi-Shing Wong, Sida Liu and Benny Chung-Ying Zee
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Zhe Huang: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Emily Ying-Yang Chan: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Chi-Shing Wong: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Sida Liu: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Benny Chung-Ying Zee: Centre for Clinical Research and Biostatistics (CCRB), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: Whereas previous studies have assessed the overall health impact of temperature in Hong Kong, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the health impact is modified by local temperature of small geographic units, which may be related to the diverse socioeconomic characteristics of these units. The effects of local temperature on non-accidental and cause-specific mortality were analyzed using Bayesian spatial models at a small-area level, adjusting for potential confounders, i.e., area-level air pollutants, socioeconomic status, and green space, as well as spatial dependency. We found that a 10% increase in green space density was associated with an estimated 4.80% decrease in non-accidental mortality risk and a 5.75% decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality risk in Hong Kong, whereas variation in local annual temperature did not significantly contribute to mortality. We also found that the spatial variation of mortality within this city could be explained by the geographic distribution of green space and socioeconomic factors rather than local temperature or air pollution. The findings and methodology of this study may help to further understanding and investigation of social and structural determinants of health disparities, particularly place-based built environment across class-based small geographic units in a city, taking into account the intersection of multiple factors from individual to population levels.

Keywords: mortality; local temperature; green space; social and structural determinants of health disparities; Bayesian spatial analysis; Hong Kong (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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