The impact of climate on pterygium disease in Sulaymaniyah City

Abstract

Demonstrating the impact of climatic factors on human health necessitates comprehensive statistical analysis, executed through advanced statistical and computational tools to precisely quantify the degree of influence across different geographical locations. The specific characteristics of climatic variables determine the magnitude of these effects. Given that this study addresses community health in Sulaymaniyah city, situated in the center of Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the eastern Kurdistan Region and northeastern Iraq, serving as the administrative capital of the governorate, the study area boundaries are delineated as follows: the northern boundary begins at Fayala village; the northeastern boundary extends from Mala Dawood village to Qarga in the southeast, running along the Azmer and Goyzha mountain ranges; the western boundary commences in the northwest at Taslouja, extending through Kilaspi village and Kani Ban in the southwest, and the villages of Kani Shinka and Sheikh Wais in the south.

Astronomically, the study area is positioned between latitudes 35°28'57" N and 35°39'49" N, and longitudes 45°12'18" E and 45°30'00" E. Consequently, the research area is situated within the southern temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, hence the nomenclature adopted by the researchers.

This study aims to analyze and examine the climatic impact on pterygium disease, while simultaneously determining the extent of influence exerted by temporal climatic variations and their correlation with pterygium disease prevalence within the designated study area.

The research methodology employed is grounded in descriptive and statistical analytical approaches. Data collection encompassed climatic variables and pterygium disease incidence records obtained from official governmental institutions spanning the period 2018-2024, enabling the determination of each climatic element's impact level on pterygium disease manifestation. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-22) was utilized to ensure scientifically rigorous outcomes.

The analysis revealed that climatic elements collectively account for 61.7% of the variance in pterygium disease occurrence. The influence of climatic variables, as determined by the coefficient of determination (R²), manifested in two patterns: positive or negative correlations. Specifically, temperature, actual solar radiation, wind velocity, and dust storms demonstrated positive impacts at rates of 57.3%, 44.6%, 21.5%, and 16.3% respectively. Conversely, relative humidity exhibited a negative impact at 50.2%, ranking second among climatic factors influencing pterygium disease prevalence in Sulaymaniyah city.