Evaluation of a heat vulnerability index on abnormally hot days: an environmental public health tracking study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Extreme hot weather conditions have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but risks are not evenly distributed throughout the population. Previously, a heat vulnerability index (HVI) was created to geographically locate populations with increased vulnerability to heat in metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

Objectives

We sought to determine whether areas with higher heat vulnerability, as characterized by the HVI, experienced higher rates of morbidity and mortality on abnormally hot days.

Methods

We used Poisson regression to model the interaction of HVI and deviant days (days whose deviation of maximum temperature from the 30-year normal maximum temperature is at or above the 95th percentile) on hospitalization and mortality c

SUBMITTER: Reid CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3346770 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature