Deadly Heat: Failures in Effective Media Engagement Cost Lives

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 19

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

The devastating effects of heatwaves and the deficiencies in current response strategies disproportionately affect specific individuals populations, 1 , 2 underscoring urgent need for effective solutions. Lessons from past heat events emphasise importance preparedness strategies. Understanding dangers involves recognizing not only individual health impacts but also broader environmental societal consequences. 3 Heat-related illnesses, such as exhaustion heatstroke, can be fatal are preventable.

Language: Английский

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Lessons learnt from the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome: a qualitative study of western Washington’s healthcare community response

BMJ Open, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(4), P. e089093 - e089093

Published: April 1, 2025

Objective The 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome was Washington state’s deadliest recorded weather event and presented unprecedented response challenges to the health sector. Understanding impacts of this extreme (EHE) on sector as well barriers facilitators implementing effective is critical preparing for future events, which are happening more frequently in region due climate change. Design Guided by an implementation science framework, we convened listening sessions focus groups western reflect regional efforts. Setting Health organisations 15 counties State, USA: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston Whatcom. Participants A convenience sample 109 group participants recruited through professional networks Healthcare Response Network, a healthcare coalition. 27 professionals were using purposive sampling participate seven organised organisation type. Results co-presence COVID-19 pandemic, limited staff capacity, resource acquisition inadequate collaboration emerged key barriers, while advanced planning, indoor cooling capabilities, adapting strategies local needs, robust internal relationships strong external partnerships reported facilitate response. Establishing centralised coordination ahead making improvements capabilities built environment, developing plans policies EHEs that have co-benefits other adopting evidence-informed strategies, institutionalising knowledge developed prior events improving evaluative processes (such real-time monitoring capacity) will enable EHEs. Conclusions Western Washington’s implemented EHE activities enabled essential service continuity, despite resources, unfamiliarity with systemic challenges. recency presents opportunity incorporate lessons learnt into practice, policies, environment; these necessary large-scale may experience coming decades.

Language: Английский

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Urban heat island impacts on mental health in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Environment International, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 109470 - 109470

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Resilience: conceptualisations and challenges for effective heatwave public health planning

Public Health, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 230, P. 113 - 121

Published: March 25, 2024

This article examines diverse perspectives on heatwave resilience in public health planning, interviewing stakeholders from various sectors. It identifies challenges, including operational, political, economic, and cultural aspects, hindering effective strategies. The study advocates for a holistic approach to resilience, emphasising interdisciplinary research collaboration targeted interventions. Enhancing is crucial mitigating adverse impacts safeguarding vulnerable populations during heatwaves. Conceptualisations of related planning vary significantly. There need unveil the multifaceted nature context heatwaves identify key challenges that hinder efforts. Qualitative explore stakeholders' conceptualisations highlight opportunities needed greater planning. Interviews were conducted with group involved local, regional, national academics, civil sector private representatives. findings this resilience. mainly differ following: 'whom'; 'what'; 'how'; 'when'; 'why'. analysis shows concept well understood but has different functions. revealed several problems, such as operational technical; political governance; organisational institutional; economic; linguistic; cultural, social, behavioural; communication, information, awareness. These significantly emphasises integrated Addressing these enhancing provides valuable insights into complexities offering guidance sectors society develop interventions development new intersectoral research, practice, governance will prove ongoing efforts strengthen By fostering societies can mitigate safeguard well-being populations.

Language: Английский

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A Review of the Increasing Global Impact of Climate Change on Human Health and Approaches to Medical Preparedness

Medical Science Monitor, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 30

Published: July 11, 2024

At the end of 2023, World Health Organization (WHO) identified climate change as greatest threat to human health. Global is due rising atmospheric concentrations greenhouse gasses, primarily burning fossil fuels, mainly by populations in developed and developing countries. In 2022, world experienced highest temperatures for over 100,000 years. However, global investment fuels increased 10% reached more than USD 1 trillion. The 2023 Lancet Commission report concluded that there has been little progress protecting individuals from adverse health effects change. It clear action against needs move quickly, inequalities change, including impact on health, are increasing. This article aims review ongoing at individual population levels, recent initiatives medical approaches prepare this increasing challenge.

Language: Английский

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The Direct and Indirect Influences of Interrelated Regional-Level Sociodemographic Factors on Heat-Attributable Mortality in Europe: Insights for Adaptation Strategies

Environmental Health Perspectives, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 131(8)

Published: Aug. 1, 2023

Heat is a significant cause of mortality, but impact patterns are heterogenous. Previous studies assessing such heterogeneity focused exclusively on risk rather than heat-attributable mortality burdens and assume predictors independent.We assessed how four interrelated regional-level sociodemographic predictors-education, life expectancy, the ratio older to younger people (aging index), relative income-influence in Europe then derived insights into adaptation strategies.We extracted outcomes from temperature-mortality study covering 16 European countries: rate increase at moderate extreme temperatures (moderate slope, respectively), minimum temperature percentile (MMTP), underlying rate. We used structural equation modeling with country-level random effects quantify direct indirect influences outcomes.Higher levels education were directly associated lower heat-related via slopes higher MMTPs. A one standard deviation was -0.46±0.14, -0.41±0.12, 0.41±0.12 (±standard error) change MMTP, respectively. However, had mixed associations aging index, income. Higher expectancy relations being (0.33±0.11 for slope; -0.19±0.097 MMTP) rates (-0.72±0.097). index through (0.13±0.072 slope) (0.93±0.055). Relative income relatively small, influences.Our novel approach provided actions reducing health impacts heat. First, results show interrelations between possible vulnerability-generating mechanisms suggest future research directions. Second, findings point need dual adaptation, that explicitly target heat exposure reduction root causes vulnerability. For latter, climate crisis may be leveraged accelerate ongoing general public programs. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11766.

Language: Английский

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Elevated Ambient Temperature Associates With Increased Cardiovascular Disease–Risk Among Patients on Hemodialysis

Kidney International Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 9(10), P. 2946 - 2955

Published: July 25, 2024

IntroductionIn many parts of the world, ambient temperatures have increased due to climate change. Due loss renal function, which impacts regulation thermoregulatory mechanisms, ability adapt and be resilient changing conditions is particularly concerning among individuals with kidney failure. The aim this study was assess effect heat on mortality health care utilization US patients hemodialysis.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis from 2011 2016 in contiguous United States during warmer months eligible dialysis who were identified Renal Data System (USRDS). Daily temperature estimated 1 km grid assigned ZIP-code. Case-crossover design conditional Poisson models used risk developing adverse outcomes associated exposure.ResultsOverall, exposure high elevated for both hemodialysis patients. ratios all-cause daily 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.11), 1.17 (1.14–1.21) fluid disorder-related hospital admissions, 1.19 (1.16–1.22) cardiovascular event-related emergency department (ED) visits, comparing 99th percentile versus 50th temperatures. Larger effects observed cumulative lagged 3 days prior outcome Southwest Northwest regions.ConclusionHeat disease (CVD)–related vulnerable population. Furthermore, appears potentially short-term varies geographically.

Language: Английский

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Climate change and health equity: A public health perspective on climate justice.

PubMed, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 8(Suppl 6), P. 3 - 35

Published: Nov. 1, 2023

The discourse on climate justice has developed from the theoretical approaches and discussions environmental justice. A central tenet of concept is that issues cannot be seen in isolation social justice.A conceptual model was relationship between change impacts, dimensions, adaptive capacities, biological sensitivity, health equity order to systematically analyse Based an exploratory literature review evaluation individual contributions status report health, evidence Germany inequalities exposure impacts vulnerability their direct indirect effects summarised.This paper provides overview international debate examples Germany. Climate sense avoidable, unjust exposure, vulnerability, mitigation adaptation measures still insufficiently addressed Germany.A consistent integration into policy necessary. With reference literature, options for action research needs are identified.

Language: Английский

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The Impacts of Climatic Features on Residents and Residences: A UK Study

Published: Feb. 6, 2024

Introductions- Liveable housing environments face the menace of global climate change. In-frastructure (including buildings and houses) continuously experiences significant impacts ex-acerbated by natural variability in climate. The study addressed how change resilience residential buildings, increased maintenance frequency, wellbeing comfort residents UK buildings. Design/Methodology/Approach: This used deductive reasoning an empirical epis-temological methodology as a data-collecting basis to evaluate primary information obtained via questionnaire. Regression analysis was ultimately employed analyse collected da-ta. Result/Discussions: findings show relationship between occupants buildings. Also, results that social is more important than mental physical wellbeing. It reveals suffer cost due continuous reduc-tion building fabric's change; for instance, recent increase rainfall/storms unprecedented flooding, which continues damage fabrics.

Language: Английский

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On adjustment for temperature in heatwave epidemiology: a new method and toward clarification of methods to estimate health effects of heatwaves

American Journal of Epidemiology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 21, 2024

Abstract Defining the effect of an exposure interest and selecting appropriate estimation method are prerequisites for causal inference. Current understanding ways in which association between heat waves (ie, consecutive days extremely high temperature) outcome depends on whether adjustment was made temperature how such conducted is limited. In this paper we aim to investigate dependency, demonstrate that a confounder heat-wave–outcome associations, introduce new modeling approach with estimate relationship: E[R(Y)|HW = 1, Z]/E[R(Y)|T OT, Z], where HW daily binary variable used indicate presence wave; R(Y) risk outcome, Y; T variable; OT optimal temperature; Z set confounders including typical but also some types as confounder. We recommend characterization relationships careful selection approaches understand impacts under climate change. our using real-world data Seoul, South Korea. Our demonstration suggests total may be larger than what inferred from extant literature. An R package, HEAT, has been developed publicly available. This article part Special Collection Environmental Epidemiology.

Language: Английский

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