Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyse the association between season of birth, temperature and neonatal mortality according to socioeconomic status in northern Sweden from 1880 to 1950. The source material for this study comprised digitised parish records combined with local weather data. The association between temperature, seasonality, socioeconomic status and neonatal mortality was modelled using survival analysis. We can summarise our findings according to three time periods. During the first period (1880–1899), temperature and seasonality had the greatest association with high neonatal mortality, and the socioeconomic differences in vulnerability were small. The second period (1900–1929) was associated with a decline in seasonal and temperature-related vulnerabilities among all socioeconomic groups. For the last period (1930–1950), a new regime evolved with rapidly declining neonatal mortality rates involving class-specific temperature vulnerabilities, and there was a particular effect of high temperature among workers. We conclude that the effect of season of birth on neonatal mortality was declining for all socioeconomic groups (1880–1950), whereas weather vulnerability was pronounced either when the socioeconomic disparities in neonatal mortality were large (1880–1899) or during transformations from high to low neonatal rates in the course of industrialisation and urbanisation.
Highlights
The association between ambient temperature and early infant mortality has been seen in both contemporary and historical populations with risk increasing both due to heat and to cold (Basu & Ostro, 2008; Karlsson et al, 2020; Scalone & Samoggia, Extended author information available on the last page of the article1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)Population and Environment (2021) 43:149–1802018; Son et al, 2017; Xu et al, 2012)
Another factor highly related to the association between temperature and early infant health is the seasonality of neonatal mortality, where seasonal patterns might vary in different population and at different times (Fellman & Eriksson, 2001)
We know that the seasonality and influence of extreme temperature on neonatal mortality varied over time and differed between indigenous and non-indigenous groups living in the same sub-Artic area (Karlsson, 2017; Karlsson et al, 2019a, b; Schumann et al, 2019)
Summary
The association between ambient temperature and early infant mortality has been seen in both contemporary and historical populations with risk increasing both due to heat and to cold Neonates are especially vulnerable to heat and cold-related death due to their thermal instability (Basu & Ostro, 2008; Kumar et al, 2009) Another factor highly related to the association between temperature and early infant health is the seasonality of neonatal mortality, where seasonal patterns might vary in different population and at different times (Fellman & Eriksson, 2001). We lack knowledge if these differences in temperature and seasonal vulnerabilities found between the ethnic groups were present between the social classes This sub-Arctic area constitutes a climatically unique region (long and cold winters, and short and mild summers), which add scientific relevance to previous studies of the association between temperature and neonatal mortality in temperate climates. We assessed how seasonality and weather were associated with neonatal mortality among different social groups during the socio-economic transformation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
