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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Feb 16;70(6):1695–1703. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17702

Table 2.

Effect of hurricane by hospitalization type and damage category

Low Damage
(Frances and Irene)
Medium Damage
(Wilma, Rita, Ike, and Ivan)
High Damage
(Sandy and Katrina)

240 Days Before 0–30 Days Post 31–60 Days Post 240 Days Before 0–30 Days Post 31–60 Days Post 240 Days Before 0–30 Days Post 31–60 Days Post
All Cause N = 704,300 N = 734,981 N = 414,448
 Event Rate (per 100 py) 191.4 204.7 224.1 193.6 211.6 220.0 194.2 220.1 206.6
 IRR (95% CI) Ref 1.08
(1.07–1.08)
1.19
(1.19–1.20)
Ref 1.10
(1.09–1.11)
1.16
(1.15–1.17)
Ref 1.14
(1.13–1.15)
1.09
(1.08–1.10)
Heart Failure N = 46,484 N = 50,455 N = 27,642
 Event Rate (per 100 py) 150.8 169.7 192.7 151.0 177.2 199.2 148.2 190.1 193.6
 IRR (95% CI) Ref 1.13
(1.10–1.16)
1.30
(1.27–1.33)
Ref 1.18
(1.15–1.21)
1.34
(1.31–1.38)
Ref 1.29
(1.25–1.34)
1.33
(1.29–1.38)
COPD N = 27,415 N = 28,399 N = 16,407
 Event Rate (per 100 py) 148.5 142.9 162.0 148.0 157.1 158.9 144.5 174.3 174.9
 IRR (95% CI) Ref 0.97
(0.93–1.00)
1.10
(1.06–1.14)
Ref 1.07
(1.03–1.10)
1.09
(1.05–1.12)
Ref 1.21
(1.16–1.27)
1.23
(1.17–1.28)
Diabetes N = 12,270 N = 12,040 N = 8,162
 Event Rate (per 100 py) 138.4 140.3 147.7 135.8 144.2 148.9 138.7 154.1 135.8
 IRR (95% CI) Ref 1.02
(0.96–1.08)
1.07
(1.02–1.13)
Ref 1.06
(1.01–1.12)
1.10
(1.05–1.17)
Ref 1.11
(1.05–1.19)
0.99
(0.92–1.06)

PY=person-years; COPD=chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; IRR= incidence rate ratio.

Event rates represent the total number of hospitalizations observed in a period divided by the total person-time of exposure for individuals with a designated hospitalization type. IRRs estimated from conditional, within person fixed effects models.