Kong Lu-Shi, Chen Duo, Zhang Jin-Dan, Cheng Xiao-Fen, Zhang Yi-Li, Li Bei
School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
Arch Public Health. 2025 Jul 10;83(1):181. doi: 10.1186/s13690-025-01665-6.
Extreme temperature-related events can have a negative impact on the health of populations, especially the elderly. However, there is a lack of research on the relationship between heat exposure and cognitive function in older adults. We aim to explore the association between temperature and cognitive function through a national study of middle-aged and older adults.
This study was based on data from the 2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, which screened 6,605 participants who met the inclusion criteria and merged historical meteorological data. We controlled for temperature-related meteorological variables and covariates affecting cognitive function, and used Generalized Linear Model to investigate the correlation between ambient temperature exposure and cognitive function in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Stepwise regression was used to examine the mediating role of depression levels in the impact of temperature on cognitive function.
After controlling for covariates and meteorological variables, the number of days of high temperature exposure was significantly negatively associated with cognitive function. The number of days of high temperature exposure was positively associated with depression, and depression was negatively associated with cognitive function. Mediation effect analyses indicated that depression playing a partial mediating role in the association between high temperature exposure and cognitive function.
High temperatures exposure was significantly associated with reduced cognitive function, and depression levels may partially mediate this association. This finding has important implications for the design of public policies to reduce the role of high temperatures on mental health.
与极端温度相关的事件会对人群健康产生负面影响，尤其是老年人。然而，关于老年人热暴露与认知功能之间的关系缺乏研究。我们旨在通过一项针对中老年人群的全国性研究来探索温度与认知功能之间的关联。
本研究基于中国健康与养老追踪调查2018年的数据，筛选出6605名符合纳入标准的参与者，并合并了历史气象数据。我们控制了与温度相关的气象变量以及影响认知功能的协变量，并使用广义线性模型研究中国中老年人群环境温度暴露与认知功能之间的相关性。采用逐步回归分析来检验抑郁水平在温度对认知功能影响中的中介作用。
在控制协变量和气象变量后，高温暴露天数与认知功能显著负相关。高温暴露天数与抑郁呈正相关，而抑郁与认知功能呈负相关。中介效应分析表明，抑郁在高温暴露与认知功能的关联中起部分中介作用。
高温暴露与认知功能下降显著相关，抑郁水平可能部分介导了这种关联。这一发现对于制定减少高温对心理健康影响的公共政策具有重要意义。
