Heatwave-Related Mortality Risk and the Risk-Based Definition of Heat Wave in South Korea: A Nationwide Time-Series Study for 2011–2017

Cinoo Kang, Chaerin Park, Whanhee Lee, Nazife Pehlivan, Munjeong Choi, Jeongju Jang and Ho Kim
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Cinoo Kang: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Chaerin Park: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Whanhee Lee: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Nazife Pehlivan: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Munjeong Choi: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Jeongju Jang: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Ho Kim: Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-12

Abstract: Studies on the pattern of heatwave mortality using nationwide data that include rural areas are limited. This study aimed to assess the risk of heatwave-related mortality and evaluate the health risk-based definition of heatwave. We collected data on daily temperature and mortality from 229 districts in South Korea in 2011–2017. District-specific heatwave-related mortality risks were calculated using a distributed lag model. The estimates were pooled in the total areas and for each urban and rural area using meta-regression. In the total areas, the threshold point of heatwave mortality risk was estimated at the 93rd percentile of temperature, and it was lower in urban areas than in rural areas (92nd percentile vs. 95th percentile). The maximum risk of heatwave-related mortality in the total area was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.01–1.22), and it was slightly greater in rural areas than in the urban areas (RR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.99–1.53 vs. RR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.20). The results differ by age- and cause-specific deaths. In conclusion, the patterns of heatwave-related mortality risk vary by area and sub-population in Korea. Thus, more target-specific heatwave definitions and action plans should be established according to different areas and populations.

Keywords: heatwave; mortality; nationwide study; risk-based heatwave definition; time-series analysis; urbanization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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