A Case-Crossover Analysis of Indoor Heat Exposure on Mortality and Hospitalizations among the Elderly in Houston, Texas

Background: Despite the substantial role indoor exposure has played in heat wave&ndash;related mortality, few epidemiological studies have examined the health effects of exposure to indoor heat. As a result, knowledge gaps regarding indoor heat&ndash;health thresholds, vulnerability, and adaptive capacity persist. Objective: We evaluated the role of indoor heat exposure on mortality and morbidity among the elderly (&ge;65&thinsp;years of age) in Houston, Texas. Methods: Mortality and emergency hospital admission data were obtained through the Texas Department of State Health Services. Summer indoor heat exposure was modeled at the U.S. Census block group (CBG) level using building energy models, outdoor weather data, and building characteristic data. Indoor heat&ndash;health associations were examined using time-stratified case-crossover models, controlling for temporal trends and meteorology, and matching on CBG of residence, year, month, and weekday of the adverse health event. Separate models were fitted for three indoor exposure metrics, for individual lag days 0&ndash;6, and for 3-d moving averages (lag 0&ndash;2). Effect measure modification was explored via stratification on individual- and area-level vulnerability factors. Results: We estimated positive associations between short-term changes in indoor heat exposure and cause-specific mortality and morbidity [e.g., circulatory deaths, odds ratio per&thinsp;5&deg;C&thinsp;increase=1.16 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.30)]. Associations were generally positive for earlier lag periods and weaker across later lag periods. Stratified analyses suggest stronger associations between indoor heat and emergency hospital admissions among African Americans compared with Whites. Discussion: Findings suggest excess mortality among certain elderly populations in Houston who are likely exposed to high indoor heat. We developed a novel methodology to estimate indoor heat exposure that can be adapted to other U.S. locations. In locations with high air conditioning prevalence, simplified modeling approaches may adequately account for indoor heat exposure in vulnerable neighborhoods. Accounting for indoor heat exposure may improve the estimation of the total impact of heat on health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6340</p

BER green roof Eddy-Covariance data

Knowledge about the annual and seasonal variation of green roof carbon uptake due to variation in ambient meteorological conditions and water availability remains scarce. That is why we studied the annual variation of net ecosystem exchange (NEE, i.e. the difference between ecosystem respiration (Reco) and gross primary production (GPP), i.e. CO2 assimilation) for the observation period from September 2014 until August 2019 by eddy-covariance measurements on a green roof at the Berlin Brandenburg airport (BER). A year was defined from September until August of the following year. We found a mean annual uptake of -141.1 and an average uncertainty of ±15.5 g C m-2 y-1. In each annual balance of the NEE the roof had higher carbon uptake than emissions despite dry conditions. Main drivers for the NEE variation are the difference in the number of dry days per year and soil moisture. C uptake might be constrained due to higher number of dry periods in future climate. This dataset provides the presented data in the research article "Extensive Urban Green Roof Shows Consistent Annual Net Uptake of Carbon as Documented by 5 Years of Eddy‐Covariance Flux Measurements". Halfhour and daily data are available. Please contact the author Jan Konopka ([email protected]) to make a request for the research data

A Case-Crossover Analysis of Indoor Heat Exposure on Mortality and Hospitalizations among the Elderly in Houston, Texas

BackgroundDespite the substantial role indoor exposure has played in heat wave-related mortality, few epidemiological studies have examined the health effects of exposure to indoor heat. As a result, knowledge gaps regarding indoor heat-health thresholds, vulnerability, and adaptive capacity persist.ObjectiveWe evaluated the role of indoor heat exposure on mortality and morbidity among the elderly (≥65 years of age) in Houston, Texas.MethodsMortality and emergency hospital admission data were obtained through the Texas Department of State Health Services. Summer indoor heat exposure was modeled at the U.S. Census block group (CBG) level using building energy models, outdoor weather data, and building characteristic data. Indoor heat-health associations were examined using time-stratified case-crossover models, controlling for temporal trends and meteorology, and matching on CBG of residence, year, month, and weekday of the adverse health event. Separate models were fitted for three indoor exposure metrics, for individual lag days 0-6, and for 3-d moving averages (lag 0-2). Effect measure modification was explored via stratification on individual- and area-level vulnerability factors.ResultsWe estimated positive associations between short-term changes in indoor heat exposure and cause-specific mortality and morbidity [e.g., circulatory deaths, odds ratio per 5°C increase=1.16 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.30)]. Associations were generally positive for earlier lag periods and weaker across later lag periods. Stratified analyses suggest stronger associations between indoor heat and emergency hospital admissions among African Americans compared with Whites.DiscussionFindings suggest excess mortality among certain elderly populations in Houston who are likely exposed to high indoor heat. We developed a novel methodology to estimate indoor heat exposure that can be adapted to other U.S.LocationsIn locations with high air conditioning prevalence, simplified modeling approaches may adequately account for indoor heat exposure in vulnerable neighborhoods. Accounting for indoor heat exposure may improve the estimation of the total impact of heat on health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6340