Association of neighborhood greenness with severity of hand, foot, and mouth disease

Abstract

Abstract Background Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is an epidemic infectious disease in China. Relationship of neighborhood greenness with human health has been widely studied, yet its association with severe HFMD has not yet been established. Methods Individual HFMD cases that occurred in Guangdong province in 2010 were recruited and were categorised into mild and severe cases. Residential greenness was assessed using global land cover data. We used a case-control design (i.e., severe versus mild cases) with logistic regression models to assess the association between neighborhood greenness and HFMD severity. Effect modification was also examined. Results A total of 131,606 cases were included, of whom 130,840 were mild cases and 766 were severe cases. In an unadjusted model, HFMD severity increased with higher proportion of neighborhood greenness (odds ratio, OR = 1.029, 95%CI: 1.009–1.050). The greenness-HFMD severity association remained (OR = 1.031, 95%CI: 1.006–1.057) after adjusting for population density, demographic variables and climate variables. Both population density (Z = 4.148, P 5 & ≤7: OR = 1.071, 95%CI: 1.024–1.120; subgroup of > 7: OR = 1.065, 95%CI: 1.034–1.097) on HFMD severity. As to relative humidity, statistically significant association between greenness and HFMD severity was only observed in the subgroup of being lower than and equal to 76% (OR = 1.059, 95%CI: 1.023–1.096). Conclusions Our study found that HFMD severity is associated with the neighborhood greenness in Guangdong, China. This study provides evidence on developing a prevention strategy of discouraging the high-risk groups from going to the crowded green spaces during the epidemic period.

Keywords

• Hand, foot, and mouth disease
• Neighborhood greenness
• Effect modification
• Population density