title: Impact of urban atmospheric environment on hospital admissions in the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the impact of intra-urban atmospheric conditions on circulatory and respiratory diseases in elder adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study based on data from 33,212 hospital admissions in adults over 60 years in the city of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, from 2003 to 2007. The association between atmospheric variables from Congonhas airport and bioclimatic index, Physiological Equivalent Temperature, was analyzed according to the district's socioenvironmental profile. Descriptive statistical analysis and regression models were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an increase in hospital admissions due to circulatory diseases as average and lowest temperatures decreased. The likelihood of being admitted to the hospital increased by 12% with 1ºC decrease in the bioclimatic index and with 1ºC increase in the highest temperatures in the group with lower socioenvironmental conditions. The risk of admission due to respiratory diseases increased with inadequate air quality in districts with higher socioenvironmental conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The associations between morbidity and climate variables and the comfort index varied in different groups and diseases. Lower and higher temperatures increased the risk of hospital admission in the elderly. Districts with lower socioenvironmental conditions showed greater adverse health impacts.
authors: Departamento de Geografia, Turismo e Humanidades, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Sorocaba, SP, Brasil. enunes@ufscar.br
authors: Edelci Nunes da
authors: EN
authors: Silva
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002947:Cities / Q000453:epidemiology; D002980:Climate; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012306:Risk; D013696:Temperature; D014504:Urban Health