Seasonality of mortality: The September phenomenon in Mediterranean countries

Falagas, ME; Karageorgopoulos, DE; Moraitis, LI; Vouloumanou, EK; Roussos, N; Peppas, G; Rafailidis, PI

dc.contributor.author	Falagas, ME	en
dc.contributor.author	Karageorgopoulos, DE	en
dc.contributor.author	Moraitis, LI	en
dc.contributor.author	Vouloumanou, EK	en
dc.contributor.author	Roussos, N	en
dc.contributor.author	Peppas, G	en
dc.contributor.author	Rafailidis, PI	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T01:31:50Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T01:31:50Z
dc.date.issued	2009	en
dc.identifier.issn	0820-3946	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/19951
dc.subject.classification	Medicine, General & Internal	en
dc.subject.other	article	en
dc.subject.other	Australia	en
dc.subject.other	controlled study	en
dc.subject.other	Cyprus	en
dc.subject.other	France	en
dc.subject.other	Greece	en
dc.subject.other	human	en
dc.subject.other	Italy	en
dc.subject.other	Japan	en
dc.subject.other	medical record	en
dc.subject.other	mortality	en
dc.subject.other	New Zealand	en
dc.subject.other	North America	en
dc.subject.other	population research	en
dc.subject.other	seasonal variation	en
dc.subject.other	Southern Europe	en
dc.subject.other	Spain	en
dc.subject.other	Sweden	en
dc.subject.other	Cause of Death	en
dc.subject.other	Environmental Exposure	en
dc.subject.other	Follow-Up Studies	en
dc.subject.other	Humans	en
dc.subject.other	Mediterranean Region	en
dc.subject.other	Prognosis	en
dc.subject.other	Retrospective Studies	en
dc.subject.other	Risk Factors	en
dc.subject.other	Seasons	en
dc.subject.other	Socioeconomic Factors	en
dc.subject.other	Survival Rate	en
dc.subject.other	Time Factors	en
dc.subject.other	Weather	en
dc.title	Seasonality of mortality: The September phenomenon in Mediterranean countries	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.identifier.primary	10.1503/cmaj.090694	en
heal.identifier.secondary	http://dx.doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.090694	en
heal.language	English	en
heal.publicationDate	2009	en
heal.abstract	Background: Seasonal increases in the mortality rate have been associated with excessively cold or hot weather. We evaluated monthly patterns of mortality in selected countries. Methods: We analyzed all-cause mortality statistics from 5 European Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Spain), Sweden, North America (United States and Canada), Australia, New Zealand and Japan. We extracted and tabulated data on monthly all-cause mortality in the general population from the earliest to the latest year that records were available. Results: We identified relevant data for a period of 2-57 years in each country. In the Mediterranean countries, the lowest average daily mortality was observed in September (all countries, 125/168 [74%] years). The fewest deaths were in August in Sweden (14/20 [70%] years) and North America (32/50 [64%] years). The fewest deaths in Japan occurred in July (2/2 [100%] years). In the southern hemisphere, the lowest mortality in Australia occurred in March (7/10 [70%] years) and in February for New Zealand (cumulative over 24 years). Interpretation: Mortality in the general population declines in the late summer to early fall months in the countries evaluated. Environmental parameters may partly account for these associations, and further research is needed on the contribution of additional factors such as summer vacations. © 2009 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors.	en
heal.publisher	CMA-CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOC	en
heal.journalName	CMAJ	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1503/cmaj.090694	en
dc.identifier.isi	ISI:000270712800008	en
dc.identifier.volume	181	en
dc.identifier.issue	8	en
dc.identifier.spage	484	en
dc.identifier.epage	486	en