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Characterizing temperature and mortality in nine California counties
Rupa Basu1, Wen-Ying Feng, Bart D Ostro
1California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Oakland, California 94612, USA. rbasu@oehha.ca.gov
Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|December 20, 2007
Summary
Rising temperatures are linked to increased mortality, even in mild climates. This study found a clear association between daily temperature and deaths in California, independent of air pollution levels.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Climate Science
Background:
- Elevated ambient temperature is a known risk factor for increased mortality.
- Few studies have investigated the independent effect of temperature on mortality, considering air pollution as a confounder or effect modifier.
- California, with its mild climate and high pollution levels, presents a unique setting to study the independent impact of temperature on mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between mean daily apparent temperature and nonaccidental mortality in California.
- To determine if air pollutants confound or modify the temperature-mortality relationship in this region.
Main Methods:
- A time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted using data from 9 California counties (1999-2003).
- Mortality data were analyzed against mean daily apparent temperature, adjusting for day of the week.
- A time-series analysis was used as a sensitivity analysis, also adjusting for time trends. County-specific estimates were combined using meta-analysis.
Main Results:
- A total of 248,019 deaths were included in the analysis.
- A 10°F increase in mean apparent temperature was associated with a 2.3% increase in mortality (95% CI: 1.0%-3.6%).
- No examined air pollutant (particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide) acted as a significant confounder or effect modifier.
Conclusions:
- An association exists between ambient temperature and mortality in California, even without extreme temperatures.
- This temperature-mortality relationship is independent of the studied air pollutants.
- Findings highlight the public health impact of temperature in diverse climatic and pollution settings.
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