Floods are known to cause serious environmental damage and health impacts. Studies on flood-related diseases have been primarily on individual events, and limited evidence could be drawn on potential health impacts from floods using large population data. This study used reimbursement records of one million people of the Taiwan National Health Insurance program to compare incident diseases of the eyes, skin and gastrointestinal (GI) tract associated with floods. Incidence rates for the selected diseases were calculated according to outpatient/emergency visit data. The incidence rates were evaluated by flood status: in 10 days before floods, during floods and within 10 days after the floods receded. Outpatient/emergency visit rates for the eye, skin and GI tract diseases were highest after floods and lowest during floods. Results from multivariate Poisson regression analyses showed that, when compared with the incidence in 10 days before floods, the incidence rate ratios (IRR) of diseases within 10 days after floods were 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10–1.20) for eyes, 1.08 (95% C.I. = 1.05–1.10) for skin, and 1.11 (95% CI = 1.08–1.14) for GI tract, after controlling for covariates. All risks increased with ambient temperature. V-shaped trends were found between age and eye diseases, and between age and GI tract diseases. In contrast, the risk of skin diseases increased with age. In conclusion, more diseases of eyes, skin and GI tract could be diagnosed after the flood.
Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan;Department of Bioenvironmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University College of Engineering, Chung Li, Taiwan;Department of Public Health, China Medical University College of Public Health, Taichung, Taiwan;Department of Health Management, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;Bachelor’s Degree Program for Indigenous Peoples in Long-term Care, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Recommended Citation:
Ling-Ya Huang,Yu-Chun Wang,Chin-Ching Wu,et al. Risk of Flood-Related Diseases of Eyes, Skin and Gastrointestinal Tract in Taiwan: A Retrospective Cohort Study[J]. PLOS ONE,2016-01-01,11(5)