[Treatment and temperature series study for use in public health. The case of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain]. / Tratamiento y estudio de series de temperatura para su aplicación en salud pública. El caso de Castilla- La Mancha.

BACKGROUND: Numerous articles relate atmospheric variables to health indicators. In large regions, such as Castilla-La Mancha, it may be necessary to divide the region into areas in terms of the atmospheric variables available by selecting a representative weather station for each zone. This article focuses on analyzing the daily temperature data from numerous Castilla La Mancha observatories and reducing the number thereof to a few representative stations for being used in studies relating atmospheric variables to health indicators in this region. METHODS: Castilla-La Mancha weather stations were selected in terms of the number of years available and missing data. After filling in the gaps in the selected series, to detect any possible discontinuities and to homogenize the series, the daily temperature data is used in hierarchical cluster and factorial analyses by principal components. RESULTS: Factorial analyses extract one single factor by using the maximum, mean or minimum temperature series. For the maximum temperatures, this factor explains 93.45% of the variance, with an eigenvalue of 39.249. The "Compuesta" station in Toledo shows correlation coefficients in the principal components matrix of 0.987, 0.991 and 0.981 respectively for the maximum, mean and minimum temperature series. CONCLUSIONS: Castilla-La Mancha is an isoclimatic region in terms of the temperature, the "Compuesta" station in Toledo being selected as the representative station for the region for public health studies. The results afford the possibility of conducting studies broken down into small units such as the provinces, with the stations in the government capitals as a reference.

[Impact of extreme temperatures on public health]. / Impacto de las temperaturas extremas en la salud pública: futuras actuaciones.

The extremely high temperatures recorded in Central Europe and in the northern and eastern of Spain during the summer of 2003 revealed the major impact that high temperatures have on public health. The excessively high death rates and hospital admissions related to these extreme temperatures have led to alert and prevention plans having been set out in our country in 2004 for the purpose of minimizing these effects. Fortunately, the temperatures recorded in 2004, which were much lower than in 2003, have not served to evaluate these plans in their full scope but have indeed served to detect some lacks which will progressively be corrected in the future. This article analyzes the mainly major impacts mainly of heat waves and also of cold waves. The socioeconomic factors having a bearing on these excessively high death rates and the measures set out which must be taken into account in the prevention plans. Particular stress is placed on the need of expediting the recording of disease and death rates in Spain and in the policies necessary for minimizing the impact on health of the extreme temperature events.