Health Impacts of the July 2010 Heat Wave in Québec, Canada

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2013 Jan 23

PMID 23336593

Citations 35

Authors

Ray Bustinza

Germain Lebel

Pierre Gosselin

Diane Belanger

Fateh Chebana

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: One of the consequences of climate change is the increased frequency and intensity of heat waves which can cause serious health impacts. In Québec, July 2010 was marked by an unprecedented heat wave in recent history. The purpose of this study is to estimate certain health impacts of this heat wave.

Methods: The crude daily death and emergency department admission rates during the heat wave were analyzed in relation to comparison periods using 95% confidence intervals.

Results: During the heat wave, the crude daily rates showed a significant increase of 33% for deaths and 4% for emergency department admissions in relation to comparison periods. No displacement of mortality was observed over a 60-day horizon.

Conclusions: The all-cause death indicator seems to be sufficiently sensitive and specific for surveillance of exceedences of critical temperature thresholds, which makes it useful for a heat health-watch system. Many public health actions combined with the increased use of air conditioning in recent decades have contributed to a marked reduction in mortality during heat waves. However, an important residual risk remains, which needs to be more vigorously addressed by public health authorities in light of the expected increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves and the aging of the population.

Citing Articles

The influence of heatwaves on traffic safety in five cities across Québec with different thermal landscapes.

Nazif-Munoz J, Gilani V, Rana J, Choma E, Spengler J, Cedeno-Laurent J Inj Epidemiol. 2025; 12(1):12.

PMID: 40022276 PMC: 11869667. DOI: 10.1186/s40621-025-00564-2.

Prediction of heatwave related mortality magnitude, duration and frequency with climate variability and climate change information.

Ouarda T, Masselot P, Campagna C, Gosselin P, Lavigne E, St-Hilaire A Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess. 2024; 38(11):4471-4483.

PMID: 39492842 PMC: 11525403. DOI: 10.1007/s00477-024-02813-0.

Media-Based Post-Event Impact Analysis of the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada.

Tetzlaff E, Goulet N, Gorman M, Richardson G, Enright P, Henderson S Environ Health Insights. 2024; 18:11786302241276669.

PMID: 39247720 PMC: 11378224. DOI: 10.1177/11786302241276669.

Palmeiro-Silva Y, Aravena-Contreras R, Izcue Gana J, Gonzalez Tapia R, Kelman I Lancet Reg Health Am. 2024; 38:100854.

PMID: 39171197 PMC: 11334688. DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100854.

Reflections on a Century of Extreme Heat Event-Related Mortality Reporting in Canada.

Yoon L, Richardson G, Gorman M Geohealth. 2024; 8(2):e2023GH000895.

PMID: 38371353 PMC: 10870068. DOI: 10.1029/2023GH000895.

References

Gasparrini A, Armstrong B . The impact of heat waves on mortality. Epidemiology. 2010; 22(1):68-73. PMC: 3324776. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181fdcd99. View

Basagana X, Sartini C, Barrera-Gomez J, Dadvand P, Cunillera J, Ostro B . Heat waves and cause-specific mortality at all ages. Epidemiology. 2011; 22(6):765-72. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e31823031c5. View

Whitman S, GOOD G, Donoghue E, Benbow N, Shou W, Mou S . Mortality in Chicago attributed to the July 1995 heat wave. Am J Public Health. 1997; 87(9):1515-8. PMC: 1380980. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.87.9.1515. View

Chebana F, Martel B, Gosselin P, Giroux J, Ouarda T . A general and flexible methodology to define thresholds for heat health watch and warning systems, applied to the province of Québec (Canada). Int J Biometeorol. 2012; 57(4):631-44. DOI: 10.1007/s00484-012-0590-2. View

Luber G, McGeehin M . Climate change and extreme heat events. Am J Prev Med. 2008; 35(5):429-35. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.08.021. View

Anderson B, Bell M . Weather-related mortality: how heat, cold, and heat waves affect mortality in the United States. Epidemiology. 2009; 20(2):205-13. PMC: 3366558. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e318190ee08. View

Le Tertre A, Lefranc A, Eilstein D, Declercq C, Medina S, Blanchard M . Impact of the 2003 heatwave on all-cause mortality in 9 French cities. Epidemiology. 2005; 17(1):75-9. DOI: 10.1097/01.ede.0000187650.36636.1f. View

Ramlow J, Kuller L . Effects of the summer heat wave of 1988 on daily mortality in Allegheny County, PA. Public Health Rep. 1990; 105(3):283-9. PMC: 1579995. View

Hoffmann B, Hertel S, Boes T, Weiland D, Jockel K . Increased cause-specific mortality associated with 2003 heat wave in Essen, Germany. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008; 71(11-12):759-65. DOI: 10.1080/15287390801985539. View

10.

Semenza J, Rubin C, FALTER K, Selanikio J, Flanders W, Howe H . Heat-related deaths during the July 1995 heat wave in Chicago. N Engl J Med. 1996; 335(2):84-90. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199607113350203. View

11.

Dippoliti D, Michelozzi P, Marino C, deDonato F, Menne B, Katsouyanni K . The impact of heat waves on mortality in 9 European cities: results from the EuroHEAT project. Environ Health. 2010; 9:37. PMC: 2914717. DOI: 10.1186/1476-069X-9-37. View

12.

Kunst A, Looman C, Mackenbach J . Outdoor air temperature and mortality in The Netherlands: a time-series analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 1993; 137(3):331-41. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116680. View

13.

Knowlton K, Rotkin-Ellman M, King G, Margolis H, Smith D, Solomon G . The 2006 California heat wave: impacts on hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Environ Health Perspect. 2009; 117(1):61-7. PMC: 2627866. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.11594. View

14.

Huynen M, Martens P, Schram D, Weijenberg M, Kunst A . The impact of heat waves and cold spells on mortality rates in the Dutch population. Environ Health Perspect. 2001; 109(5):463-70. PMC: 1240305. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.01109463. View

15.

Toutant S, Gosselin P, Belanger D, Bustinza R, Rivest S . An open source web application for the surveillance and prevention of the impacts on public health of extreme meteorological events: the SUPREME system. Int J Health Geogr. 2011; 10:39. PMC: 3126690. DOI: 10.1186/1476-072X-10-39. View

16.

Applegate W, RUNYAN Jr J, Brasfield L, Williams M, Konigsberg C, Fouche C . Analysis of the 1980 heat wave in Memphis. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1981; 29(8):337-42. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1981.tb01238.x. View

17.

Hajat S, Armstrong B, Gouveia N, Wilkinson P . Mortality displacement of heat-related deaths: a comparison of Delhi, São Paulo, and London. Epidemiology. 2005; 16(5):613-20. DOI: 10.1097/01.ede.0000164559.41092.2a. View

18.

Basu R . High ambient temperature and mortality: a review of epidemiologic studies from 2001 to 2008. Environ Health. 2009; 8:40. PMC: 2759912. DOI: 10.1186/1476-069X-8-40. View

19.

Baccini M, Biggeri A, Accetta G, Kosatsky T, Katsouyanni K, Analitis A . Heat effects on mortality in 15 European cities. Epidemiology. 2008; 19(5):711-9. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e318176bfcd. View

20.

Haines A, Kovats R, Campbell-Lendrum D, Corvalan C . Climate change and human health: impacts, vulnerability and public health. Public Health. 2006; 120(7):585-96. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2006.01.002. View