The association between anthropogenic heat and parent-report symptoms of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in China: A novel perspective reflecting climate change

Abstract

Anthropogenic climate change will have a negative impact on worldwide well-being over and above the direct consequences of rising average temperatures. But anthropogenic heat (AH) relationship with childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown. To assess the relationship with AH exposure and childhood ADHD symptoms in the context of global climate change, this study was conducted in a cross-sectional survey from April 2012 to May 2018 in the northeastern, northwestern, and southern regions of China, with a total enrollment of 179,846 children aged 6–18 years. Exposure to AH was evaluated by gathering socioeconomic and energy usage data along with nighttime light data from satellites and data on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. This encompassed four types of AH exposure: industrial processes, transportation, buildings, and human metabolism. The statistical analysis used generalized linear mixed-effects modeling to determine the association between the types of AH exposure and childhood ADHD symptoms. The mean (SD) age of the 179,846 study participants was 11.7 (2.9) years, and 7343 participants (4.1%) had ADHD symptoms. In adjusted models, increased levels of AH exposure per IQR from total AH, industry, transportation, buildings, and human metabolism all increased the odds of ADHD (odds ratios, 3.60 [95% CI, 3.42, 3.80]; 5.71 [95% CI, 5.32, 6.14]; 1.79 [95% CI, 1.75, 1.84]; 2.10 [95% CI, 2.03, 2.17]; 1.95 [95% CI, 1.89, 2.02]). The association remained robust after various sensitivity analyses. Prolonged exposure to AH is associated with the development of ADHD symptoms in children.