<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The impacts of summer heat events on the mortality of the Slovak population, both in total and for selected population sub-groups, are the foci of this study. This research is the first of its kind, focusing on a given population, and therefore one priority was to create a knowledge base for the issue and to basically evaluate existing conditions for the heat-mortality relationship in Slovakia. This article also aims to fill a void in current research on these issues in Europe. In addition to overall effects, we focused individually on the major historical heat events which occurred in the summers of 2007, 2010 and 2012. During the heat events, a non-negligible negative response in mortality was recorded and fatal effects were more pronounced during particularly strong heat events and periods which lasted for two or more days. In general, females and the elderly were the most sensitive groups in the population and mortality was characterized by several specific effects in individual population groups. The most extreme heat periods were commonly followed by a deficit in mortality, corresponding to a short-term mortality displacement, the pattern of which varied in specific cases. In general, displaced mortality appeared to compensate for a large part of heat-induced excess deaths.</p></abstract>

The impacts of summer heat events on the mortality of the Slovak population, both in total and for selected population sub-groups, are the foci of this study. This research is the first of its kind, focusing on a given population, and therefore one priority was to create a knowledge base for the issue and to basically evaluate existing conditions for the heat-mortality relationship in Slovakia. This article also aims to fill a void in current research on these issues in Europe. In addition to overall effects, we focused individually on the major historical heat events which occurred in the summers of 2007, 2010 and 2012. During the heat events, a non-negligible negative response in mortality was recorded and fatal effects were more pronounced during particularly strong heat events and periods which lasted for two or more days. In general, females and the elderly were the most sensitive groups in the population and mortality was characterized by several specific effects in individual population groups. The most extreme heat periods were commonly followed by a deficit in mortality, corresponding to a short-term mortality displacement, the pattern of which varied in specific cases. In general, displaced mortality appeared to compensate for a large part of heat-induced excess deaths.

The effects of the 1996–2012 summer heat events on human mortality in Slovakia

Comenius University Science Park, Rectorate of Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

Department of Living Environment Hygiene, Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava, Slovakia

Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

Department of Cartography, Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

Moravian Geographical Reports

This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Public License.

The impacts of summer heat events on the mortality of the Slovak population, both in total and for selected population sub-groups, are the foci of this study....

The effects of the 1996–2012 summer heat events on human mortality in Slovakia

Published Online: Oct 29, 2015

Page range: 58 - 70

Received: Dec 04, 2014

Accepted: Aug 28, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2015-0018

Keywords
weather extremes, weather stress, heat events, mortality, Slovakia

© 2015 Dalibor Výberči et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Public License.

The effects of the 1996–2012 summer heat events on human mortality in Slovakia

Published Online: Oct 29, 2015

Page range: 58 - 70

Received: Dec 04, 2014

Accepted: Aug 28, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mgr-2015-0018

Keywordsweather extremes, weather stress, heat events, mortality, Slovakia

© 2015 Dalibor Výberči et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Public License.

Keywords
weather extremes, weather stress, heat events, mortality, Slovakia