American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 149, No. 12: 1152-1160
Copyright © 1999 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
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Effects of Temperature and Snowfall on Mortality in Pennsylvania
1Environmental Hazards Epidemiology Section, Health Studies Branch, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA
2Department of Epidemiology, The Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University Atlanta, GA
3University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, El Paso, TX
4Bureau of Epidemiology, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Harrisburg, PA
Reprint requests to Dr. Josephine Malilay, Environmental Hazards Epidemiology Section, Health Studies Branch, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop F-46, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724.
The relation between exposure to severe cold weather and mortality is examined in a retrospective study of deaths occurring during the month of January from 1991 to 1996 in Pennsylvania. Using division-days as units of observation (n = 1, 560) aggregated from death certificates and geographic divisions, the authors estimated mortality rates for total deaths and deaths due to ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases by analyses based on generalized estimating equations. Total mortality increased on days of "extreme" climatic conditions, that is, when snowfall was greater than 3 cm and when temperatures were below -7°C (rate ratio (RR) = 1.27, 95 percent confidence interval (Cl) 1.12–1.44). On days of extreme conditions, mortality due to ischemic heart diseases tripled among males aged 35–49 years (RR = 3.54, 95 percent Cl 2.35–5.35), increased for men aged 50–64 years (RR = 1.77, 95 percent Cl 1.32–2.38), and rose for males aged 65 years and older (RR = 1.58, 95 percent Cl 1.37–1.82), when compared with milder conditions. Among females, mortality for those aged 65 years and older increased for respiratory causes (RR = 1.68, 95 percent Cl 1.28–2.21) and cerebrovascular causes (RR = 1.47, 95 percent Cl 1.13–1.91). Cold and snow exposure may be hazardous among men as young as 35 years. Am J Epidemiol; 1999; 149:1152–60.
cerebrovascular disorders; cold climate; heart diseases; mortality; respiration disorders; weather
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