Articles: mortality.
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Res Rep Health Eff Inst · Mar 2011
Part 1. Short-term effects of air pollution on mortality: results from a time-series analysis in Chennai, India.
This report describes the results of a time-series analysis of the effect of short-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < or = 10 pm (PM10) on mortality in metropolitan Chennai, India (formerly Madras). This was one of three sites in India chosen by HEI as part of its Public Health and Air Pollution in Asia (PAPA) initiative. The study involved integration and analysis of retrospective data for the years 2002 through 2004. ⋯ While the approaches developed in previous studies served as the basis for our model development, the present study has new refinements that have allowed us to address specific data limitations (such as missing measurements and small footprints of air pollution monitors). The methods developed in the study may allow better use of routine data for time-series analysis in a broad range of settings where similar exposure and data-related issues prevail. We hope that the estimates derived in this study, although somewhat tentative, will facilitate local environmental management initiatives and spur future studies.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Mar 2011
Childhood cancer mortality and birth characteristics in Korea: a national population-based birth cohort study.
To examine the relationship between birth characteristics and childhood cancer mortality, a retrospective cohort study of Korean children was conducted using data collected by the national birth register between 1995 and 2006, which were then individually linked to death data. A cohort of 6,479,406 children was followed from birth until their death or until December 31, 2006. Poisson regression analyses were used to calculate rate ratios of childhood cancer deaths according to birth characteristics. ⋯ The birth characteristics examined in this study (i.e. , birth weight, gestational age, multiple births, parental ages, and number of siblings) were generally found to be not significantly associated with childhood cancer mortality, and the associations did not vary meaningfully with gender nor with cancer sites. However, among children aged 5-11 yr, higher birth weight was associated with elevated childhood cancer mortality (rate ratio = 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.58). Our results offer no overall associations between childhood cancer mortality and birth characteristics, but suggest that the association may be specific to age group.
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Most studies that have evaluated the association between the body-mass index (BMI) and the risks of death from any cause and from specific causes have been conducted in populations of European origin. ⋯ Underweight was associated with a substantially increased risk of death in all Asian populations. The excess risk of death associated with a high BMI, however, was seen among East Asians but not among Indians and Bangladeshis.
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Comparative Study
Ability to walk 1/4 mile predicts subsequent disability, mortality, and health care costs.
Mobility, such as walking 1/4 mile, is a valuable but underutilized health indicator among older adults. For mobility to be successfully integrated into clinical practice and health policy, an easily assessed marker that predicts subsequent health outcomes is required. ⋯ Mobility disability, a simple self-report measure, is a powerful predictor of future health, function, and utilization independent of usual health and demographic indicators. Mobility disability may be used to target high-risk patients for care management and preventive interventions.