Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities
Background: Extreme temperatures may lead to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, including low birthweight. Studies on the impact of temperature on birthweight have been inconclusive due to methodological challenges related to operationalizing temperature exposure, the definitions of exposure wind...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022003397 |
| _version_ | 1818084928470908928 |
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| author | Maryia Bakhtsiyarava Ana Ortigoza Brisa N. Sánchez Ariela Braverman-Bronstein Josiah L. Kephart Santiago Rodríguez López Jordan Rodríguez Ana V. Diez Roux |
| author_facet | Maryia Bakhtsiyarava Ana Ortigoza Brisa N. Sánchez Ariela Braverman-Bronstein Josiah L. Kephart Santiago Rodríguez López Jordan Rodríguez Ana V. Diez Roux |
| author_sort | Maryia Bakhtsiyarava |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Extreme temperatures may lead to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, including low birthweight. Studies on the impact of temperature on birthweight have been inconclusive due to methodological challenges related to operationalizing temperature exposure, the definitions of exposure windows, accounting for gestational age, and a limited geographic scope. Methods: We combined data on individual-level term live births (N≈15 million births) from urban areas in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico from 2010 to 2015 from the SALURBAL study (Urban Health in Latin America) with high-resolution daily air temperature data and computed average ambient temperature for every month of gestation for each newborn. Associations between full-term birthweight and average temperature during gestation were analyzed using multi-level distributed lag non-linear models that adjusted for newborn’s sex, season of conception, and calendar year of child’s birth; controlled for maternal age, education, partnership status, presence of previous births, and climate zone; and included a random term for the sub-city of mother’s residence. Findings: Higher temperatures during the entire gestation are associated with lower birthweight, particularly in Mexico and Brazil. The cumulative effect of temperature on birthweight is mostly driven by exposure to higher temperatures during months 7–9 of gestation. Higher maternal education can attenuate the temperature-birthweight associations. Interpretation: Our work shows that climate-health impacts are likely to be context- and place-specific and warrants research on temperature and birthweight in diverse climates to adequately anticipate global climate change. Given the high societal cost of suboptimal birthweight, public health efforts should be aimed at diminishing the detrimental effect of higher temperatures on birthweight. Funding: The Wellcome Trust. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:01:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e7528cd98bba4ccca23c81d5bd99a575 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:01:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-e7528cd98bba4ccca23c81d5bd99a5752022-12-22T01:35:31ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202022-09-01167107412Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American citiesMaryia Bakhtsiyarava0Ana Ortigoza1Brisa N. Sánchez2Ariela Braverman-Bronstein3Josiah L. Kephart4Santiago Rodríguez López5Jordan Rodríguez6Ana V. Diez Roux7Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California Berkeley, USA; Corresponding author at: Institute of Urban and Regional Development, 316 Wurster Hall, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, USADepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, USAUrban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, USAUrban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, USACentro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas y Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, ArgentinaUrban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, USAUrban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, USABackground: Extreme temperatures may lead to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, including low birthweight. Studies on the impact of temperature on birthweight have been inconclusive due to methodological challenges related to operationalizing temperature exposure, the definitions of exposure windows, accounting for gestational age, and a limited geographic scope. Methods: We combined data on individual-level term live births (N≈15 million births) from urban areas in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico from 2010 to 2015 from the SALURBAL study (Urban Health in Latin America) with high-resolution daily air temperature data and computed average ambient temperature for every month of gestation for each newborn. Associations between full-term birthweight and average temperature during gestation were analyzed using multi-level distributed lag non-linear models that adjusted for newborn’s sex, season of conception, and calendar year of child’s birth; controlled for maternal age, education, partnership status, presence of previous births, and climate zone; and included a random term for the sub-city of mother’s residence. Findings: Higher temperatures during the entire gestation are associated with lower birthweight, particularly in Mexico and Brazil. The cumulative effect of temperature on birthweight is mostly driven by exposure to higher temperatures during months 7–9 of gestation. Higher maternal education can attenuate the temperature-birthweight associations. Interpretation: Our work shows that climate-health impacts are likely to be context- and place-specific and warrants research on temperature and birthweight in diverse climates to adequately anticipate global climate change. Given the high societal cost of suboptimal birthweight, public health efforts should be aimed at diminishing the detrimental effect of higher temperatures on birthweight. Funding: The Wellcome Trust.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022003397BirthweightTemperatureLatin AmericaUrban |
| spellingShingle | Maryia Bakhtsiyarava Ana Ortigoza Brisa N. Sánchez Ariela Braverman-Bronstein Josiah L. Kephart Santiago Rodríguez López Jordan Rodríguez Ana V. Diez Roux Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities Environment International Birthweight Temperature Latin America Urban |
| title | Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities |
| title_full | Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities |
| title_fullStr | Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities |
| title_short | Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities |
| title_sort | ambient temperature and term birthweight in latin american cities |
| topic | Birthweight Temperature Latin America Urban |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022003397 |
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