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Mortality burden attributable to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter among older adults in Korea
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Jongmin Oh, Jisun Myung, Changwoo Han, Hyun-Joo Bae, Soontae Kim, Yun-Chul Hong, Dong-Wook Lee, Youn-Hee Lim
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Epidemiol Health. 2025;47:e2025028. Published online May 28, 2025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025028
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 Abstract
Summary
 PDF Supplementary Material
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) and cause-specific mortality among older adults in Korea, providing insights into the evolving public health burden in an aging society.
METHODS We analyzed national insurance claims data spanning 2010-2019. Modeled PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations were assigned to participants according to their residential districts. We employed time-varying Cox proportional hazard models, using age as the time scale, adjusted for potential confounders. Six cause-specific mortalities were considered: ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI), lung cancer (LC), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Annual excess deaths attributable to long-term PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure were calculated.
RESULTS A total of 5,360,032 older adults were followed from 2010 to 2019. Hazard ratios (HRs) per 10 μg/m3 increase in 12-month PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration were as follows: IHD, 1.068 (95% CI, 1.040 to 1.097); stroke, 1.023 (95% CI, 1.003 to 1.043); ALRI, 1.050 (95% CI, 1.026 to 1.076); COPD, 1.114 (95% CI, 1.072 to 1.157); T2DM, 1.046 (95% CI, 1.007 to 1.086); and LC, 0.972 (95% CI, 0.948 to 0.996). Excess deaths attributable to long-term PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure were estimated at 4,888 (95% CI, 2,304 to 7,323) in 2010 and 5,179 (95% CI, 2,585 to 7,648) in 2019.
CONCLUSIONS Although PM<sub>2.5</sub> levels in Korea have shown a declining trend over the past decade, mortality among older adults associated with long-term PM<sub>2.5</sub> exposure has not significantly decreased, likely due to the rapid aging of the population.
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Summary
Korean summary
2010–2019년 동안 대한민국 노인 536만 명 대상의 후향적 코호트 연구를 수행하였다.
장기적인 초미세먼지(PM2.5) 노출은 허혈성 심질환, 뇌졸중, 하기도 감염, 만성폐쇄성폐질환, 제2형 당뇨병으로 인한 사망 위험 증가와 관련성이 있었다. 연간 PM2.5 농도는 감소했으나, 고령화로 인해 PM2.5에 기인한 초과 사망은 2010년 4,888명에서 2019년 5,179명으로 증가하였다. 대기질 개선에도 불구하고 고령화로 인해 PM2.5로 인한 사망 부담은 여전히 중요한 공중보건 문제이다.
Key Message
A retrospective cohort of 5.36 million older adults was followed from 2010 to 2019 in Korea. Long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased mortality from IHD, stroke, ALRI, COPD, and T2DM. Although annual PM2.5 concentrations declined, excess deaths rose from 4,888 in 2010 to 5,179 in 2019, largely driven by population aging. Despite improvements in air quality, the PM2.5-related mortality burden remains a significant public health concern due to population aging.
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