Objectives Many studies have explored the relationship between short-term weather and its health effects (including pneumonia) based on mortality, although both morbidity and mortality pose a substantial burden. In this study, the authors aimed to describe the influence of meteorological factors on the number of emergency room (ER) visits due to pneumonia in Seoul, Korea.
Methods Daily records of ER visits for pneumonia over a 6-year period (2009-2014) were collected from the National Emergency Department Information System. Corresponding meteorological data were obtained from the National Climate Data Service System. A generalized additive model was used to analyze the effects. The percent change in the relative risk of certain meteorological variables, including pneumonia temperature (defined as the change in average temperature from one day to the next), were estimated for specific age groups.
Results A total of 217 776 ER visits for pneumonia were identified. The additional risk associated with a 1°C increase in pneumonia temperature above the threshold of 6°C was 1.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37 to 2.61). Average temperature and diurnal temperature range, representing within-day temperature variance, showed protective effects of 0.07 (95% CI, 0.92 to 0.93) and 0.04 (95% CI, 0.94 to 0.98), respectively. However, in the elderly (65+ years), the effect of pneumonia temperature was inconclusive, and the directionality of the effects of average temperature and diurnal temperature range differed.
Conclusions The term ‘pneumonia temperature’ is valid. Pneumonia temperature was associated with an increased risk of ER visits for pneumonia, while warm average temperatures and large diurnal temperature ranges showed protective effects.
Summary
Korean summary
본 연구에서는 기온 등 다양한 기상요인의 건강영향을 나타내는 표현 중 하나로 알려진 'pneumonia weather'가 역학적으로 가진 의미를 파악하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 국가응급진료정보망의 폐렴 진료기록과 기상자료개방포털 일기자료를 일반화가법모형을 이용해 분석하였다. 그 결과 pneumonia weather는 연속된 양일간 평균기온의 차이를 의미하며, 일정 수준 이상의 일간 기온차는 단기간 이후 폐렴으로 인한 응급실 내원 위험을 증가시킨다는 사실을 확인하였다.
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