TY - JOUR

T1 - Economic status and temperature-related mortality in Asia

AU - Lim, Youn-Hee

AU - Bell, Michelle L

AU - Kan, Haidong

AU - Honda, Yasushi

AU - Guo, Yue-Liang Leon

AU - Kim, Ho

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - In developed countries, low latitude and high temperature are positively associated with the population's ability to adapt to heat. However, few studies have examined the effect of economic status on the relationship between long-term exposure to high temperature and health. We compared heterogeneous temperature-related mortality effects relative to the average summer temperature in high-socioeconomic-status (SES) cities to temperature-related effects in low-SES cities. In the first stage of the research, we conducted a linear regression analysis to quantify the mortality effects of high temperature (at or above the 95th percentile) in 32 cities in Taiwan, China, Japan, and Korea. In the second stage, we used a meta-regression to examine the association between mortality risk with average summer temperature and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. In cities with a low GDP per capita (less than 20,000 USD), the effects of temperature were detrimental to the population if the long-term average summer temperature was high. In contrast, in cities with a high GDP per capita, temperature-related mortality risk was not significantly related to average summer temperature. The relationship between long-term average summer temperature and the short-term effects of high temperatures differed based on the city-level economic status.

AB - In developed countries, low latitude and high temperature are positively associated with the population's ability to adapt to heat. However, few studies have examined the effect of economic status on the relationship between long-term exposure to high temperature and health. We compared heterogeneous temperature-related mortality effects relative to the average summer temperature in high-socioeconomic-status (SES) cities to temperature-related effects in low-SES cities. In the first stage of the research, we conducted a linear regression analysis to quantify the mortality effects of high temperature (at or above the 95th percentile) in 32 cities in Taiwan, China, Japan, and Korea. In the second stage, we used a meta-regression to examine the association between mortality risk with average summer temperature and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. In cities with a low GDP per capita (less than 20,000 USD), the effects of temperature were detrimental to the population if the long-term average summer temperature was high. In contrast, in cities with a high GDP per capita, temperature-related mortality risk was not significantly related to average summer temperature. The relationship between long-term average summer temperature and the short-term effects of high temperatures differed based on the city-level economic status.

KW - Asia/epidemiology

KW - Cities/epidemiology

KW - Gross Domestic Product

KW - Humans

KW - Mortality/trends

KW - Regression Analysis

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Temperature

KW - Urban Health

U2 - 10.1007/s00484-014-0950-1

DO - 10.1007/s00484-014-0950-1

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25597032

VL - 59

SP - 1405

EP - 1412

JO - International Journal of Biometeorology

JF - International Journal of Biometeorology

SN - 0020-7128

IS - 10

ER -