Time series analysis of correlativity between pulmonary tuberculosis and seasonal meteorological factors based on theory of Human-Environmental Inter Relation

Objective:This paper aims to study the correlativity between the number of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases and seasonal meteorological factors in Beijing.Methods:Based on theory of Human-Environmental Inter Relation in Huangdi's Internal Classics,we adopted monthly cases of PTB in Beijing from 2004 to 2011,and established a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model.Using the cross-correlation function (CCF),we then analyzed the correlation between meteorological factors and number of infected patients.The related meteorological factors were subsequently integrated,to establish a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with explanatory variables (SARIMAX) model,which was used to estimate and verify the number of PTB cases in 2012.Results:In this study,a SARIMA(0,1,1) (0,1,1)12 model was established;CCF analysis was used to reveal the correlativity between PTB and precipitation with 1 lag,relative humidity with 1 lag.Then,integrated with relative humidity with 1 lag (β =2.405,95% confidence interval:0.433-4.377),the SARIMAX prediction model was proved to be an accurate approach for predicting local situations of PTB occurrence.Conclusions:The occurrence of PTB is correlated with seasonal meteorological factors.Combining these factors,an exact prediction model can be established,to estimate of the number of PTB infected patients.