Characteristics of 34 752 patients who died and used in case-crossover analysis
| Patient characteristic | Patients who died between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2014, N (%) | Patients who died in winter months (December to March),a N (%) | Patients who died in other seasons and/or due to other diseases, N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | |||
| Male | 16 043 (46.2) | 3337 (43.3) | 12 706 (47.0) |
| Female | 18 709 (53.8) | 4373 (56.7) | 14 336 (53.0) |
| Age at death, years | |||
| 65–74 | 6442 (18.5) | 920 (11.9) | 5522 (20.4) |
| 75–84 | 11 516 (33.1) | 2400 (31.1) | 9116 (33.7) |
| ≥85 | 16 794 (48.3) | 4390 (57.0) | 12 404 (45.9) |
| Living situation | |||
| Community | 31 671 (91.1) | 6833 (88.6) | 24 838 (91.9) |
| Institution | 3081 (8.9) | 877 (11.4) | 2204 (8.1) |
| Location | |||
| Urban conurbation | 10 583 (30.5) | 2339 (30.3) | 8244 (30.5) |
| Cities and towns | 20 198 (58.1) | 4496 (58.3) | 15 702 (58.1) |
| Rural | 3971 (11.4) | 875 (11.4) | 3096 (11.4) |
| Deprivation level (IMD) | |||
| Q1 (least deprived) | 7217 (20.8) | 1555 (20.2) | 5662 (20.9) |
| Q2 | 8051 (23.2) | 1756 (22.8) | 6285 (23.3) |
| Q3 | 7473 (21.5) | 1704 (22.1) | 5769 (21.3) |
| Q4 | 6362 (18.3) | 1435 (18.6) | 4927 (18.2) |
| Q5 (most deprived) | 5649 (16.3) | 1260 (16.3) | 4389 (16.2) |
| House energy efficiency | |||
| Q1 (lowest inefficiency) | 5206 (15.0) | 1173 (15.2) | 4033 (14.9) |
| Q2 | 8115 (23.4) | 1813 (23.5) | 6302 (23.3) |
| Q3 | 8216 (23.6) | 1821 (23.6) | 6395 (23.7) |
| Q4 | 7845 (22.6) | 1731 (22.5) | 6114 (22.6) |
| Q5 (highest inefficiency) | 5370 (15.5) | 1172 (15.2) | 4198 (15.5) |
| Emergency hospital admission within 2 years of death | |||
| No | 6081 (17.5) | 1575 (20.4) | 4506 (16.7) |
| Yes | 28 671 (82.5) | 6135 (79.6) | 22 536 (83.3) |
| Chronic condition(s)b | |||
| No | 21 259 (61.2) | 5601 (72.7) | 15 658 (57.9) |
| Yes | 13 493 (38.8) | 2109 (27.3) | 11 384 (42.1) |
| Region | |||
| South | 11 593 (33.4) | 2593 (33.6) | 9000 (33.3) |
| North | 23 159 (66.6) | 5117 (66.4) | 18 042 (66.7) |
| Total | 34 752 (100.0) | 7710 (100.0) | 27 042 (100.0) |
↵a Patients who died in winter months (December to March) between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2014 due to diseases of the circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, or mental and behavioural disorders.
↵b Diagnosed with one or more of the following seven chronic conditions: chronic renal disease, cancer, asthma, stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes, or COPD. COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.