title: The impact of relative humidity and atmospheric pressure on mortality in Guangzhou, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although many studies have examined the effects of ambient temperatures on mortality, little evidence is on health impacts of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity. This study aimed to assess the impacts of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity on mortality in Guangzhou, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 213,737 registered deaths during 2003-2011 in Guangzhou, China. A quasi-Poisson regression with a distributed lag non-linear model was used to assess the effects of atmospheric pressure/relative humidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant effect of low atmospheric pressure/relative humidity on mortality. There was a 1.79% (95% confidence interval: 0.38%-3.22%) increase in non-accidental mortality and a 2.27% (0.07%-4.51%) increase in cardiovascular mortality comparing the 5th and 25th percentile of atmospheric pressure. A 3.97% (0.67%-7.39%) increase in cardiovascular mortality was also observed comparing the 5th and 25th percentile of relative humidity. Women were more vulnerable to decrease in atmospheric pressure and relative humidity than men. Age and education attainment were also potential effect modifiers. Furthermore, low atmospheric pressure and relative humidity increased temperature-related mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both low atmospheric pressure and relative humidity are important risk factors of mortality. Our findings would be helpful to develop health risk assessment and climate policy interventions that would better protect vulnerable subgroups of the population.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Chun Quan
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Qiao Qun
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510440, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Hua Zhang
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510440, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Guo Zhen
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Ping Yan
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Physics, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Yu Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Atmospheric pressure; Mortality; Relative humidity; Temperature