Ecological relationship between disease-specific mortality risks and estimated exposure levels of UV-B in Japan

首先，一个公式来估计地面水平UV-B从气象数据的生态研究中使用的目的。估算值是从一个方程中得出的，该方程将全球太阳辐射、臭氧总量、纬度和日本全国各区域点的月份与气象站的位置和气象数据相对应。第二，评估了过去30年区域UV-B估计值与最近所有癌症、白血病和肺癌死亡风险之间的生态关联，以相应区域的标准化死亡率比表示。在1960年十年期的估计UV-B值和1983 - 87年男女全因死亡率的SMR之间有一种微弱但显著的负相关（表明有保护作用）。与此相反，有一个弱，但显着的正相关性（表明不利影响）之间的估计UV-B值的1960年十年期和1983 - 87 SMR的白血病在男性和女性。这种关系保持无论选择的区域点或期间的估计UV-B值仅为所有癌症死亡率的妇女。的相关性更高的幅度和显着性水平比纬度作为替代UV-B暴露。因此，区域紫外线-B水平可能是造成日本特定疾病发病率或死亡率区域差异的部分原因。这项研究将进一步发展，同时考虑到区域点的选择以及其他特定疾病发病率或死亡率区域指数之间的关系等因素。

First, a formula to estimate ground level UV-B from meteorological data was developed for the purpose of utilization in the ecological study. Estimated values were obtained from an equation incorporating global solar radiation, total ozone, latitude and month for various regional points throughout Japan corresponding to the location of weather stations with the meteorological data. Estimation was deemed valid based on the high correlation between estimated and observed values of UV-B.Second, the ecological association was assessed between estimated regional UV-B values for the past 30 years and recent mortality risks of all cancer, leukemia and lung cancer, expressed in terms of the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of the corresponding region. There was a weak but significant negative correlation (suggesting protective effect) between estimated UV-B values of the 1960 decennial period and 1983-87 SMR of all cause mortality in both men and women. In contrast, there was a weak but significant positive correlation (suggesting adverse effect) between estimated UV-B values of the 1960 decennial period and 1983-87 SMR of leukemia in both men and women. Such relationships were maintained regardless of the selection of regional points or period of estimated UV-B values only for all cancer mortality in women. The correlations were higher in magnitude and significance level than when latitude was used as a surrogate of UV-B exposure. It is thus possible that regional UV-B levels partly account for the regional differences in disease-specific morbidity or mortality in Japan. The study will further be developed taking into consideration such factors as the selection of regional points and relationship between other regional indices of disease-specific morbidity or mortality.