Watching the Game, Skipping the Hospital: World Cup Matches and Cardiovascular Hospitalizations

Abstract

Background: Major sporting events may acutely alter patterns of cardiovascular hospitalization through changes in healthcare-seeking behavior, hospital utilization, and emotional or behavioral triggers. Brazil participated in the FIFA World Cup in 2014 (as host), 2018, and 2022, providing a unique natural experiment.

Methods: We analyzed daily counts of acute myocardial infarction (AMI, ICD-10 I21) and heart failure (HF, ICD-10 I50) hospitalizations from the Brazilian national hospital information system (SIH-SUS) during three ± 30-day windows around each World Cup tournament (2014, 2018, 2022). Negative binomial regression models estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for Brazil match days versus non-match days, controlling for day of week, month, and year fixed effects.

Results: On Brazil match days, AMI admissions were 7.0% lower than non-match days (IRR 0.930, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.898–0.962, P < 0.001) and HF admissions were 11.1% lower (IRR 0.889, 95% CI 0.855–0.925, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Brazil World Cup matches were associated with significant reductions in same-day AMI and HF hospitalizations. These findings highlight the potential impact of major sporting events on hospital utilization and cardiovascular care access.