TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of Asian dust storms on daily mortality in seven metropolitan cities of Korea

AU - Lee, Hyewon

AU - Kim, Ho

AU - Honda, Yasushi

AU - Lim, Youn Hee

AU - Yi, Seungmuk

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - The adverse effects of dust storms on health have been a major issue in several countries. A substantial number of studies have found significant associations between dust storms and morbidity such as emergency visits and hospitalizations. However, the results of the studies on the association between dust storms and mortality are inconsistent. In Korea, no study has found statistically significant effect of Asian dust storms on daily mortality. Thus, this study aims to explore the effect of Asian dust storms on daily mortality in Korea during 2001-2009. All analyses were confined to non-accidental mortality. We used generalized additive model with Quasi-Poisson regressions. We considered the lag effect of dust storms up to 7 days and performed subgroup analyses by disease, sex and age. Current day's temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, day of the week, season and time trends were controlled for in a basic model. SO2, NO2 and PM10 levels were also added in the further analyses. Meta-analysis was applied for seven metropolitan cities in Korea to estimate the pooled effects of Asian dust storms. We reported results as excessive mortality by percentage due to Asian dust storms. We found significant positive associations between Asian dust storms and mortality at lag 0 (cardiovascular: 2.91%; 95% CI: 0.13, 5.77, male: 2.74%; 95% CI: 0.74, 4.77 and

AB - The adverse effects of dust storms on health have been a major issue in several countries. A substantial number of studies have found significant associations between dust storms and morbidity such as emergency visits and hospitalizations. However, the results of the studies on the association between dust storms and mortality are inconsistent. In Korea, no study has found statistically significant effect of Asian dust storms on daily mortality. Thus, this study aims to explore the effect of Asian dust storms on daily mortality in Korea during 2001-2009. All analyses were confined to non-accidental mortality. We used generalized additive model with Quasi-Poisson regressions. We considered the lag effect of dust storms up to 7 days and performed subgroup analyses by disease, sex and age. Current day's temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, day of the week, season and time trends were controlled for in a basic model. SO2, NO2 and PM10 levels were also added in the further analyses. Meta-analysis was applied for seven metropolitan cities in Korea to estimate the pooled effects of Asian dust storms. We reported results as excessive mortality by percentage due to Asian dust storms. We found significant positive associations between Asian dust storms and mortality at lag 0 (cardiovascular: 2.91%; 95% CI: 0.13, 5.77, male: 2.74%; 95% CI: 0.74, 4.77 and

KW - Asian dust storms

KW - Lag effects

KW - Meta-analysis

KW - Non-accidental mortality

KW - Pooled effects

U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.06.046

DO - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.06.046

M3 - Journal article

VL - 79

SP - 510

EP - 517

JO - Atmospheric Environment

JF - Atmospheric Environment

SN - 1352-2310

ER -