CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Epidemiological investigations regarding temperatureinfluence on human health have focused on mortality rather than morbidity. Inaddition, most information comes from developed countries despite the increasingevidence that climate change will have devastating impacts on disadvantagedpopulations living in developing countries. In the present study, we assessedthe impact of daily temperature range on upper and lower respiratory infectionsin Cordoba, Argentina, and explored the effect modification of socio-economicfactors and influence of airborne particles We found that temperature range isa strong risk factor for admissions due to both upper and lower respiratoryinfections, particularly in elderly individuals, and that these effects are morepronounced in sub-populations with low education level or in poor livingconditions. These results indicate that socio-economic factors are strongmodifiers of the association between temperature variability and respiratory morbidity,thus they should be considered in risk assessments.