• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.283-290
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• 2005

Objectives : The aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between the summertime (June to August) heat index, which quantifies the bioclimatic apparent temperature in sultry weather, and the daily disease-related mortality in Seoul for the period from 1991 to 2000. Methods : The daily maximum (or minimum) summertime heat indices, which show synergetic apparent temperatures, were calculated from the six hourly temperatures and real time humidity data for Seoul from 1991 to 2000. The disease-related daily mortality was extracted with respect to types of disease, age and sex, etc. and compared with the time series of the daily heat indices. Results : The summertime mortality in 1994 exceeded the normal by 626 persons. Specifically, blood circulation-related and cancer-related mortalities increased in 1994 by 29.7% (224 persons) and 15.4% (107 persons), respectively, compared with those in 1993. Elderly persons, those above 65 years, were shown to be highly susceptible to strong heat waves, whereas the other age and sex-based groups showed no significant difference in mortality. In particular, a heat wave episode on the 22nd of July 2004 ($>45^{\circ}C$ daily heat index) resulted in double the normal number of mortalities after a lag time of 3 days. Specifically, blood circulation-related mortalities, such as cerebral infraction, were predominant causes. Overall, a critical mortality threshold was reached when the heat index exceeded approximately $37^{\circ}C$, which corresponds to human body temperature. A linear regression model based on the heat indices above $37^{\circ}C$, with a 3 day lag time, accounted for 63% of the abnormally increased mortality (${\geq}+2$ standard deviations). Conclusions : This study revealed that elderly persons, those over 65 years old, are more vulnerable to mortality due to abnormal heat waves in Seoul, Korea. When the daily maximum heat index exceeds approximately $37^{\circ}C$, blood circulation-related mortality significantly increases. A linear regression model, with respect to lag-time, showed that the heat index based on a human model is a more dependable indicator for the prediction of hot weather-related mortality than the ambient air temperature.

• Atmosphere
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.463-470
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• 2007

This study aims to assess the impact of the hot summer weather on daily mortality in Busan. Daily total all-caused mortality in the entire population in Busan has been examined during 1991-2005. The daily deaths were standardized to account for the long-term trend in mortality and their seasonal and weekly cycles. We found the net increase (about 8.2%) of excess deaths during the extraordinary heat wave period in July of 1994. It corresponds to the excess deaths of 109.5 during the month. The abnormality of temperature extremes in July of 1994 and their impacts on human health were also investigated. Unusual heat wave appeared in the first ten days in July of 1994. The excess deaths are likely to be attributable to the record-breaking heat waves. The result suggests that unusual early heat waves would be dangerous, even for inhabitants who live in an acclimated region to the heat waves such as Busan.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.1 s.60
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• pp.82-90
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• 1998

A large number of studies have indicated associations between particulate air pollution and daily mortality. Daily measurements of total suspended particulates (TSP) by high volume air sampler were matched to daily death counts supplied by the National Statistics Office, Korea. All deaths, except deaths from accidents, occurred at Ulsan from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 1994 were considered in the poisson regression analysis. The multiple regression models were used to investigate a main effects of air particulate pollution controlling for $SO_2$ levels, air temperature, relative humidity, seasonal variation, and calendar year. The results indicated that the effects of TSP, $SO_2$, temperature, and relative humidity were not significantly associated with all cause mortality. It could, however, be emphasized that the size of the parameter estimate of TSP was very similar to that of previous studies. An increase in particulates of $100{\mu}g/m^3$ was associated with a 3% increase in mortality. This relationship was observed at TSP levels well below the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard of $150{\mu}g/m^3$ in Korea as well.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.33-48
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• 2004

o Asia dust storm events could increase the risk of daily mortality in Taipei, although none of the associations were statistically significant, This study found greater specificity for associations with respiratory and circulatory deaths, and this increases the plausibility of a causal explanation.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.18 no.3 s.49
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• pp.89-99
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• 2003

This study is peformed to examine the relationship between air pollution exposure and mortality in Incheon for the years of 1998 - 2001. Daily counts of death were analyzed by general additive Poisson model, with adjustment for effects of seasonal trend, air temperature, humidity, and day of the week as confounders in a nonparametric approach. Daily death counts were associated with CO(1 day before), O$_3$(2 day before), PM$_{10}$(1 day before), NO$_2$(1day before), SO$_2$(1 day before). Increase of 32.21 ${\mu}$g/m$^3$(interquartile range) in PM$_{10}$ was associated with 1.9 % (95% CI = 0.8 % - 2.9 %) increase in the daily number of death. This effect was greater in children(less than 15 aged) and elderly(more than 65 aged). We concluded that Incheon had 2 - 4 % increase in mortality in association with IQR in air pollutants. Daily variations in air pollution within the range currently occurring in Incheon might have an adverse effect on daily mortality. These findings also support the hypothesis that air pollution, at levels below the current ambient air quality standards of Korea, is harmful to sensitive subjects, such as children or elderly.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.523-537
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• 2008

In Korea, the global warming leads to more frequent high temperature region. increasing the need for research into physical damage caused by high temperature. We therefore analyzed the differences of mortality, caused by extreme heat, among gender and age. We also examined the trend of mortality from high temperature-sensitive diseases. Women are more affected by exposure to high temperature than are men; People over 65 years old have higher mortality rate (1.5 times) than under 65. As for high temperature-related diseases, cerebrovascular disease was the number one cause of death, and chronic lower respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease followed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.2 s.53
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• pp.279-294
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• 1996

This study was to evaluate hospital characteristics as composition of manpower and facilities to the death rate of patient; and to earmark the factors affecting the overall hospital mortality rates. The data utilized were derived from survey material conducted by the Korean Hospital Association on 32 tertiary referral hospitals in Korea between 1986 and 1994. The findings are : 1. Those hospitals having the most capacity per bed had little difference to the mortality rates than the others. 2. Those hospitals having the most daily patients per specialist had significantly higher mortality rates than the others, but the number of daily patients per nurse had little effect on the mortality rates. 3. Those hospitals which had a relatively sufficient number of quality assurance activities revealed a lower mortality, and particularly in case where such effort was directed to the clinicians, the outcome was remarkable. We concluded that the major factor affecting the hospital mortality rates seems to be the number of specialists per number of beds, the degree of quality assurance assessment of the clinicians, the quality assurance activities of each hospital as a whole, and the number of daily patient per specialist. According to the findings of this study, the composition and quality of specialist and adequate quality assurance activities seemed to be the essential for the improvement of hospital care. Therefore, in this regard e proper implementation of policy and support is highly recommended. Due to lack of available research material, the personal characteristics of specialists haven't been considered in this study. However, this longitudinal observation of 32 tertiary referral hospitals over a nine year period has significant merit alone.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.258-264
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Diet quality scores or indices, based on dietary guidelines, are used to summarize dietary intake into a single numeric variable. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the modified diet quality index for Koreans (DQI-K) and mortality among Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study participants. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The DQI-K was modified from the original diet quality index. A total of 134,547 participants (45,207 men and 89,340 women) from the HEXA-G study (2004 and 2013) were included. The DQI-K is based on eight components: 1) daily protein intake, 2) percent of energy from fat, 3) percent of energy from saturated fat, 4) daily cholesterol intake, 5) daily whole-grain intake, 6) daily fruit intake, 7) daily vegetable intake, and 8) daily sodium intake. The association between all-cause mortality and the DQI-K was examined using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Hazard ratios and confidence intervals were estimated after adjusting for age, gender, income, smoking status, alcohol drinking, body mass index, and total energy intake. RESULTS: The total DQI-K score was calculated by summing the scores of the eight components (range 0-9). In the multivariable adjusted models, with good diet quality (score 0-4) as a reference, poor diet quality (score 5-9) was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratios = 1.23, 95% confidence intervals = 1.06-1.43). Moreover, a one-unit increase in DQI-K score resulted in a 6% higher mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS: A poor diet quality DQI-K score was associated with an increased risk of mortality. The DQI-K in the present study may be used to assess the diet quality of Korean adults.

• Atmosphere
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.269-278
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• 2006

Extremely hot weathers may cause major weather-related deaths in the summertime. Influences of heat waves on daily mortalities in 6 major cities of South Korea were investigated. Daily deaths at Seoul were exponentially increased with the daily maximum temperature. However, there were regional differences of the temperature dependence on the mortality because of an acclimation effect of inhabitants. The threshold temperature (with respect to daily maximum temperature) at Seoul was found to be about $31^{\circ}C$ provided that it is determined by a two-phase regression model. The meteorological causes of recordable hot summer in late July of 1994 and their impacts on human health were also investigated. Strong surface heating caused by strong insolation under conditions with clear sky and dry surface due to prolonged drought was likely to be closely associated with the extreme hot weather in 1994 in South Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.781-796
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• 2009

The current standard level of Heat Health Watch Warning System consider both daily maximum temperature and daily maximum heat index(HI), but current standard could not consider daily maximum HI due to the difficulties in forecasting when we consider both daily maximum temperature and daily maximum HI and no considering HI because relative humidity could not observed for some regions. So, Newly established standard level of Heat Health Watch Warning System is based on daily maximum temperature exceeding $30^{\circ}C$ for two consecutive days or daily minimum temperature exceeding $25^{\circ}C$ and daily maximum temperature exceeding $30^{\circ}C$. These days are called "extreme heat days". On extreme heat days, the standard of extreme heat advisory is based on daily maximum temperature among exceeding $32.7^{\circ}C$ and not exceeding $34.8^{\circ}C$, and extreme heat warning is based on daily maximum temperature exceeding $34.8^{\circ}C$. ANOVA analysis was carried out using the data of Seoul Metropolitan City in 1994 to check the robustness of the new standard level of Heat Health Watch Warning System from this study, in particular for mortality variable. The results reveal that the new standard specifies excess mortality well, showing significance level of 0.05 in the difference of excess mortality for each phase.