Short-term Exposure to Wildfire-Specific PM2.5 and Diabetes Hospitalization: A Study in Multiple Countries and Territories
Authors' conclusion
We show the relatively underappreciated links between diabetes and wildfire air pollution, which can lead to a nonnegligible proportion of PM2.5-related diabetes hospitalizations. Precision prevention and mitigation should be developed for those in advantaged communities and in Thailand, Australia, and Brazil.
Study context
- Population
- Diabetes hospitalizations from 1,008 locations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Thailand and Taiwan, 2000–2019
- Participants
- 3,612,135 hospitalizations
- Exposure
- Each 10 µg/m³ increase in wildfire-specific PM2.5 over the current day and previous 3 days
- Outcome
- Diabetes hospitalization (all-cause and by type) associated with wildfire-specific PM2.5
- Follow-up
- Current day and previous 3 days
Methodological details1,008 locations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Thailand, and Taiwan, 2000-2019, quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag nonlinear models, random-effects meta-analysis
- 1,008 locations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Thailand, and Taiwan
- 2000-2019
- quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag nonlinear models
- Random-effects meta-analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Diabetes hospitalization by type
Wildfire-specific PM2.5 per 10 µg/m³ increaseRelative risk (95% CI)
All-cause diabetes
1.017(1.011–1.022)
T1D
1.023(1.011–1.035)
T2D
1.023(1.015–1.032)
Malnutrition-related diabetes
0.962(0.823–1.032)
Other specified diabetes
1.033(1.001–1.066)
Unspecified diabetes
1.013(1.004–1.022)
Per 10 µg/m³ increase, as printed
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Subgroups
- Stronger associations for all-cause, T1D and T2D in Thailand, Australia and Brazil; unspecified diabetes in New Zealand; T2D in high-income locations
Hospitalizations attributable to wildfire-specific PM2.5
- All-cause diabetes
- 0.67% (0.16-1.18%)
- T2D
- 1.02% (0.20-1.81%)
Wildfire-specific vs nonwildfire PM2.5
- Share of PM2.5-related diabetes hospitalizations due to wildfire-specific PM2.5
- 38.7%
- Wildfire-specific PM2.5 posed greater risks of all-cause, T1D and T2D hospitalization
Original publication
Short-term Exposure to Wildfire-Specific PM2.5 and Diabetes Hospitalization: A Study in Multiple Countries and Territories. Diabetes Care. Published 16 July 2024. doi:10.
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