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Using grey relational analysis to analyze influential factor of hand, foot and mouth disease in Shenzhen

Xiaoyi He (Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China)
Liping Li (Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China)
Xiaojian Liu (Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China)
Yongsheng Wu (Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China)
Shujiang Mei (Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China)
Zhen Zhang (Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China)

Grey Systems: Theory and Application

ISSN: 2043-9377

Article publication date: 25 April 2019

Issue publication date: 15 May 2019

137

Abstract

Purpose

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease in infants and children. HFMD has caused millions of cases and a large epidemic worldwide. A number of studies have shown that the incidence of HFMD is closely related to various factors such as meteorological factors, environmental air pollution factors and socio-economic factors. However, there are few studies that systematically consider the impact of various factors on the incidence of HFMD. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used grey correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) method to systematically analyse the impact of meteorological factors, health resource factors, socio-economic factors and environmental air pollution factors on the incidence of HFMD in Shenzhen.

Findings

The incidence of HFMD in Shenzhen was affected by multiple factors. Grey correlation analysis found eight influencing factors which are as follows: volume of industrial waste gas emission; the days of air quality equal to or above grade; the volume of industrial nitrogen oxide emission; precipitation; the mean air temperature; the gross domestic product; the expenditure for medical and health care; and the gross domestic product per capita. PCA found that the gross domestic product, the volume of industrial soot emission, the relative humidity, and the days of air quality equal to or above grade have a higher load value.

Originality/value

This study is the one of the first studies that apply the grey correlation analysis to analyse the influencing factors of HFMD in the English literature, which to some extent fills up the blank in this field.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published paper. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. This paper is funded by Guangdong Science and Technology Department (No. 2016A020216026), and the Department of Guangdong the Top-tier University Development Scheme for Research and Control of Infectious Diseases (No. 2016040). Xiaoyi He made substantial contributions to the conception and the design of this research and did all data analysis and wrote the whole manuscript. Liping Li, Xiaojian Liu, Yongsheng Wu, Shujiang Mei and Zhen Zhang proposed amendments and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Citation

He, X., Li, L., Liu, X., Wu, Y., Mei, S. and Zhang, Z. (2019), "Using grey relational analysis to analyze influential factor of hand, foot and mouth disease in Shenzhen", Grey Systems: Theory and Application, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 197-206. https://doi.org/10.1108/GS-11-2018-0060

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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