{"title":"Age inequality in temperature-related fall mortality among old people in China in a warming climate","authors":"Yi Lin, Jinlei Qi, Jianxiong Hu, Jiangmei Liu, Guanhao He, Peng Yin, Tao Liu, Ziqiang Lin, Fengrui Jing, Jinling You, Wenjun Ma, Maigeng Zhou","doi":"10.1038/s41612-025-00939-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study aimed to quantify the age-specific risk and burden of fall-related mortality attributable to ambient temperature among older adults in China. Using data in 2759 counties/districts during 2005–2022, we found that both high and low temperatures significantly increased the risk of fall-related mortality, with a notably higher risk associated with high temperatures, particularly among the oldest old and people in Southern China. Projections indicate that the fall-related mortality burden associated with temperature will increase in the future, primarily affecting the oldest old, and the increase is mainly driven by climate change. These findings highlight the need for effective adaptation strategies to reduce the impact of temperature on fall-related mortality among older adults, particularly facing double challenges of climate change and population aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":19438,"journal":{"name":"npj Climate and Atmospheric Science","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"npj Climate and Atmospheric Science","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00939-8","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"METEOROLOGY & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study aimed to quantify the age-specific risk and burden of fall-related mortality attributable to ambient temperature among older adults in China. Using data in 2759 counties/districts during 2005–2022, we found that both high and low temperatures significantly increased the risk of fall-related mortality, with a notably higher risk associated with high temperatures, particularly among the oldest old and people in Southern China. Projections indicate that the fall-related mortality burden associated with temperature will increase in the future, primarily affecting the oldest old, and the increase is mainly driven by climate change. These findings highlight the need for effective adaptation strategies to reduce the impact of temperature on fall-related mortality among older adults, particularly facing double challenges of climate change and population aging.
期刊介绍:
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science is an open-access journal encompassing the relevant physical, chemical, and biological aspects of atmospheric and climate science. The journal places particular emphasis on regional studies that unveil new insights into specific localities, including examinations of local atmospheric composition, such as aerosols.
The range of topics covered by the journal includes climate dynamics, climate variability, weather and climate prediction, climate change, ocean dynamics, weather extremes, air pollution, atmospheric chemistry (including aerosols), the hydrological cycle, and atmosphere–ocean and atmosphere–land interactions. The journal welcomes studies employing a diverse array of methods, including numerical and statistical modeling, the development and application of in situ observational techniques, remote sensing, and the development or evaluation of new reanalyses.