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Folkerts MA, Bröde P, Botzen WJW, et al. Sex differences in temperature-related all-cause mortality in the Netherlands. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2021;doi: 10.1007/s00420-021-01721-y.
Folkerts, M. A., Bröde, P., Botzen, W. J. W., Martinius, M. L., Gerrett, N., Harmsen, C. N., & Daanen, H. A. M. (2021). Sex differences in temperature-related all-cause mortality in the Netherlands. International archives of occupational and environmental health, . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01721-y
Folkerts, Mireille A, et al. "Sex differences in temperature-related all-cause mortality in the Netherlands." International archives of occupational and environmental health vol. (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01721-y
Folkerts MA, Bröde P, Botzen WJW, Martinius ML, Gerrett N, Harmsen CN, Daanen HAM. Sex differences in temperature-related all-cause mortality in the Netherlands. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2021 Jun 05; doi: 10.1007/s00420-021-01721-y. Epub 2021 Jun 05. PMID: 34089351.
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Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2021 Jun 05; doi: 10.1007/s00420-021-01721-y. Epub 2021 Jun 05.

Sex differences in temperature-related all-cause mortality in the Netherlands.

International archives of occupational and environmental health

Mireille A Folkerts, Peter Bröde, W J Wouter Botzen, Mike L Martinius, Nicola Gerrett, Carel N Harmsen, Hein A M Daanen

Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behaviour and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  2. Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany.
  3. Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  4. Statistics Netherlands, Voorburg, The Netherlands.
  5. Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behaviour and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].

PMID: 34089351 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-021-01721-y

Abstract

PURPOSE: Over the last few decades, a global increase in both cold and heat extremes has been observed with significant impacts on human mortality. Although it is well-identified that older individuals (> 65 years) are most prone to temperature-related mortality, there is no consensus on the effect of sex. The current study investigated if sex differences in temperature-related mortality exist in the Netherlands.

METHODS: Twenty-three-year ambient temperature data of the Netherlands were combined with daily mortality data which were subdivided into sex and three age classes (< 65 years, 65-80 years,  ≥ 80 years). Distributed lag non-linear models were used to analyze the effect of ambient temperature on mortality and determine sex differences in mortality attributable to the cold and heat, which is defined as mean daily temperatures below and above the Minimum Mortality Temperature, respectively.

RESULTS: Attributable fractions in the heat were higher in females, especially in the oldest group under extreme heat (≥ 97.5th percentile), whilst no sex differences were found in the cold. Cold- and heat-related mortality was most prominent in the oldest age group (≥ 80 years) and to a smaller extent in the age group between 65-80 years. In the age group < 65 years temperature-related mortality was only significant for males in the heat.

CONCLUSION: Mortality in the Netherlands represents the typical V- or hockey-stick shaped curve with a higher daily mortality in the cold and heat than at milder temperatures in both males and females, especially in the age group ≥ 80 years. Heat-related mortality was higher in females than in males, especially in the oldest age group (≥ 80 years) under extreme heat, whilst in the cold no sex differences were found. The underlying cause may be of physiological or behavioral nature, but more research is necessary.

Keywords: Climate change; Mortality; Sex differences; Temperature

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