TY - JOUR
T1 - Seasonality of pneumonia admissions and its association with climate
T2 - An eight-year nationwide population-based study
AU - Lin, Herng Ching
AU - Lin, Hsiu Chen
AU - Lin, Ching Chun
AU - Chen, Chin Shyan
PY - 2009/12
Y1 - 2009/12
N2 - The aim of the study was to examine seasonal variability in monthly admissions for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Taiwan. Our study sample comprised 477,541 pneumonia patients in Taiwan between 1998 and 2005, inclusive. Results showed a fairly consistent seasonal pattern of pneumonia admissions, regardless of sex and age, and for the groups combined. Seasonal trends showed a peak in hospitalizations from January through April, followed by a sharp decrease in May and a trough from August through October. The auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) test found significant seasonality for all age and sex groups and for the whole sample (all p < 0.001). After adjusting for seasonality, month, and trends, the ARIMA regression models revealed that the monthly pneumonia admissions rate was significantly associated with ambient temperature, for the total sample, for female groups, and for the 65-74 and ≥ 75 age groups (all p < 0.01). A 1°C decrease in ambient temperature was associated with roughly a 0.03 increase in monthly pneumonia admissions rate (per 10,000 people) for the entire sample. We conclude the monthly pneumonia admissions rate was significantly associated with seasonality, and was higher in periods with low ambient temperatures.
AB - The aim of the study was to examine seasonal variability in monthly admissions for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Taiwan. Our study sample comprised 477,541 pneumonia patients in Taiwan between 1998 and 2005, inclusive. Results showed a fairly consistent seasonal pattern of pneumonia admissions, regardless of sex and age, and for the groups combined. Seasonal trends showed a peak in hospitalizations from January through April, followed by a sharp decrease in May and a trough from August through October. The auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) test found significant seasonality for all age and sex groups and for the whole sample (all p < 0.001). After adjusting for seasonality, month, and trends, the ARIMA regression models revealed that the monthly pneumonia admissions rate was significantly associated with ambient temperature, for the total sample, for female groups, and for the 65-74 and ≥ 75 age groups (all p < 0.01). A 1°C decrease in ambient temperature was associated with roughly a 0.03 increase in monthly pneumonia admissions rate (per 10,000 people) for the entire sample. We conclude the monthly pneumonia admissions rate was significantly associated with seasonality, and was higher in periods with low ambient temperatures.
KW - Ambient temperature
KW - Climate
KW - Pneumonia
KW - Seasonality
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U2 - 10.3109/07420520903520673
DO - 10.3109/07420520903520673
M3 - Article
C2 - 20030547
AN - SCOPUS:73649119542
SN - 0742-0528
VL - 26
SP - 1647
EP - 1659
JO - Chronobiology International
JF - Chronobiology International
IS - 8
ER -