Light at night and cause-specific mortality risk in Mainland China: a nationwide observational study

Abstract

Background While epidemiological studies have found correlations between light at night (LAN) and health effects, none has so far investigated the impacts of LAN on population mortality yet. We aimed to estimate the relative risk for mortality from exposure to LAN in Mainland China. Methods This time-stratified case-crossover nationwide study used NPP-VIIRS to obtain daily LAN data of Mainland China between 2015 and 2019. The daily mortality data were obtained from the Disease Surveillance Point System in China. Conditional Poisson regression models were applied to examine the relative risk (RR) for mortality along daily LAN in each county, then meta-analysis was performed to combine the county-specific estimates at the national or regional level. Results A total of 579 counties with an average daily LAN of 4.39 (range: 1.02–35.46) were included in the main analysis. The overall RRs per 100 nW/cm2/sr increases in daily LAN were 1.08 (95%CI: 1.05–1.11) for all-cause mortality and 1.08 (95%CI: 1.05–1.11) for natural-cause mortality. A positive association between LAN and all natural cause-specific mortality was observed, of which the strongest effect was observed on mortality caused by neuron system disease (RR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.14–1.52). The results were robust in both younger and old, as well as in males and females. The more pronounced effect of LAN was observed in median LAN-level regions. Combined with an exposure–response curve, our study suggests a non-linear association between LAN and mortality in China. Conclusions Our study shows LAN is associated with mortality in China, particularly for neuron system disease-related mortality. These findings have important implications for public health policy establishment to minimize the health consequences of light pollution.

Nighttime Outdoor Artificial Light and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

“…We calculated an objective measure of mean OALAN, expressed in units of radiance as nanowatts per centimeter squared per steradian, for each geocoded address for the years 2008 to 2009 using the National Geophysical Data Center’s latest radiance-calibrated light-at-night data (Figure 1). Such data have been proposed as a reliable proxy measure for relative levels of nighttime illumination at ground level and have been used recently to assess the effects of light pollution on various comorbidities …”

“…Such data have been proposed as a reliable proxy measure for relative levels of nighttime illumination at ground level and have been used recently to assess the effects of light pollution on various comorbidities. 15 , 21 , 33 …”

Association between exposure to outdoor artificial light at night and the risk of preterm birth

“…To date, two types of ALAN satellite data were utilized in human health research, including the Operational Linescan System of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (OLS-DMSP) and the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS) (24,25). DMSP-OLS was launched in 1992, with a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km for its data products (26).…”

Outdoor artificial light at night and risk of early-onset dementia: A case-control study in the Modena population, Northern Italy

“…In particular, one previous investigation suggested a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment in Chinese veterans exposed to excessive outdoor LAN [ 32 ]. Similarly, another study suggested a positive relation between LAN exposure and all-cause mortality in China, with the strongest effect on neuron system disease, although no specific assessment of dementia was reported [ 33 ].…”