Revised Analyses of the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study: Mortality Among Residents Of 90 Cities

Abstract

This article presents findings from updated analyses of data from 90 U.S. cities assembled for the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS). The data were analyzed with a generalized additive model (GAM) using the gamfunction in S-Plus (with default convergence criteria previously used and with more stringent criteria) and with a generalized linear model (GLM) with natural cubic splines. With the original method, the estimated effect of PM₁₀ (particulate matter 10μm in mass median aerodynamic diameter) on total mortality from nonexternal causes was a 0.41% increase per 10−μg/m³ increase in PM₁₀; with the more stringent criteria, the estimate was 0.27%; and with GLM, the effect was 0.21%. The effect of PM₁₀ on respiratory and cardiovascular mortality combined was greater, but the pattern across models was similar. The findings of the updated analysis with regard to spatial heterogeneity across the 90 cities were unchanged from the original analyses.

This article is reprinted with permission from the Health Institute. The article was originally published in HEI Special Report Revised Analyses of Time-Series Studies of Air Pollution and Health, which also includes mother report on NMMAPS II data, 21 short communication reports, two HEI Commentaries by special panels of the Health Review Committee, and an HEI Statement. Further background and data on this revised analysis are available at www.biostat.jhsph.edu/˜fdominic/HEI/nmmaps.htm. Although this document was produced with partial funding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Assistance Award R82811201 to the Health Effects Institute, it has not been subjected to the agency's peer and administrative review and therefore may not necessarily reflect the views of the agency and no official endorsement by it should be inferred. The contents of this document also have not been reviewed by private party institutions including those that support the Health Institute; therefore, it may not reflect the views or policies of these parties, and no endorsement by them should be inferred.