The main objectives of this project are: i) To analyze the geographical variability of both excess mortality and the effect of extreme heat on excess mortality during the summer months in Catalonia, particularly those of 2022; and ii) To analyze the geographical variability of the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on excess mortality in Catalonia, particularly during 2022.
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Analyze socioeconomic variables, both at the contextual and individual levels, as confounding variables of the associations between extreme heat and COVID-19 on excess mortality.
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Evaluate the role of air pollutants in the association between extreme heat and excess mortality:
- As modifiers of the effect.
- As intervening variables (mediators).
- As an effect of global pollution.
- As an effect of the exchange of some pollutants related to climate variables for others. -
Evaluate the effect on excess mortality of moderate temperatures, extreme minimum temperatures, the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, and the relative vs. absolute increase.
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Analyze other meteorological variables, particularly their relative humidity, as a modifier of the effect of extreme temperatures.
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Evaluate, at an individual level, whether the associations are confounded and/or there is modification of the effect, with the subject's sex, age, comorbidities and socioeconomic level, in addition to contextual variables such as socioeconomic level, air pollution and the level of other meteorological variables of the area where the subject lives.
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To assess the existence of late cancer diagnosis, its determinants, and the effect on the shift in mortality in 2022.
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Analyze the variability of the effect of extreme heat episodes, based on their occurrence, duration, intensity and by different population groups.
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Evaluate the space-time interdependence, that is, whether the geographical variability of the excess, controlling for confounding and modifying variables, has been changing since 2003.