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Risk screening methods for extreme heat: Implications for equity-oriented adaptation.

ABSTRACT: Morbidity and mortality impacts of extreme heat amplified by climate change will be unequally distributed among communities given pre-existing differences in socioeconomic, health, and environmental conditions. Many governments are interested in adaptation policies that target those especially vulnerable to the risks, but there are important questions about how to effectively identify and support communities most in need of heat adaptations. Here, we use an equity-oriented adaptation program from the state of California as a case study to evaluate the implications of the currently used environmental justice index (CalEnviroScreen 3.0) for the identification of socially vulnerable communities with climate change adaptation needs. As CalEnviroScreen is geared towards air and water pollution, we assess how community heat risks and adaptation needs would be evaluated differently under two more adaptation-relevant vulnerability indices: the Social Vulnerability Index and the Heat-Health Action Index. Our analysis considers communities at the census tract scale, as well as the patterns emerging at the regional scale. Using the current index, the state designates 25% of its census tracts as "disadvantaged" communities eligible for special adaptation funds. However, an additional 12.6% of the state's communities could be considered vulnerable if the two other indices were considered instead. Only 13.4% of communities are vulnerable across all three vulnerability indices studied. Choice of vulnerability index shapes statewide trends in extreme heat risk and is linked to a community's likelihood of receiving heat-related California Climate Investments (CCI) projects. Tracts that are vulnerable under the current pollution-focused index, but not under the heat-health specific index, received four times the number of heat-related interventions as tracts vulnerable under the reverse scenario. This study demonstrates important nuances relevant to implementing equity-oriented adaptation and explores the challenges, trade-offs, and opportunities in quantifying vulnerability.

SUBMITTER: Turek-Hankins LL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7641348 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Risk screening methods for extreme heat: Implications for equity-oriented adaptation.

Turek-Hankins Lynée L LL Hino Miyuki M Mach Katharine J KJ

PloS one 20201104 11

Morbidity and mortality impacts of extreme heat amplified by climate change will be unequally distributed among communities given pre-existing differences in socioeconomic, health, and environmental conditions. Many governments are interested in adaptation policies that target those especially vulnerable to the risks, but there are important questions about how to effectively identify and support communities most in need of heat adaptations. Here, we use an equity-oriented adaptation program fro ...[more]

PMID: 33147245

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Project description:Climate forecasts project further increases in extremely high-temperature events. These present threats to biodiversity, as they promote population declines and local species extinctions. This implies that ecological communities will need to rely more strongly on recovery processes, such as recolonization from a meta-community context. It is poorly understood how differences in extreme event intensity change the outcome of subsequent community reassembly and if such extremes modify the biotic environment in ways that would prevent the successful re-establishment of lost species. We studied replicated aquatic communities consisting of algae and herbivorous rotifers in a design that involved a control and two different heat wave intensity treatments (29°C and 39°C). Animal species that suffered heat-induced extinction were subsequently re-introduced at the same time and density, in each of the two treatments. The 39°C treatment led to community closure in all replicates, meaning that a previously successful herbivore species could not re-establish itself in the postheat wave community. In contrast, such closure never occurred after a 29°C event. Heat wave intensity determined the number of herbivore extinctions and strongly affected algal relative abundances. Re-introduced herbivore species were thus confronted with significantly different food environments. This ecological legacy generated by heat wave intensity led to differences in the failure or success of herbivore species re-introductions. Reassembly was significantly more variable, and hence less predictable, after an extreme heat wave, and was more canalized after a moderate one. Our results pertain to relatively simple communities, but they suggest that ecological legacies introduced by extremely high-temperature events may change subsequent ecological recovery and even prevent the successful re-establishment of lost species. Knowing the processes promoting and preventing ecological recovery is crucial to the success of species re-introduction programs and to our ability to restore ecosystems damaged by environmental extremes.

Project description:BackgroundTypically, web-based consumer health information is considered more beneficial for people with high levels of education and income. No evidence shows that equity-oriented information offers equal benefits to all. This is important for parents of low socioeconomic status (SES; low levels of education and income and usually a low level of literacy).ObjectiveThis study is based on a conceptual framework of information outcomes. In light of this, it aims to compare the perception of the outcomes of web-based parenting information in low-SES mothers with that of other mothers and explore the perspective of low-SES mothers on contextual factors and information needs and behavior associated with these outcomes.MethodsA participatory mixed methods research was conducted in partnership with academic researchers and Naître et grandir (N&G) editors. N&G is a magazine, website, and newsletter that offers trustworthy parenting information on child development, education, health, and well-being in a format that is easy to read, listen, or watch. Quantitative component (QUAN) included a 3-year longitudinal observational web survey; participants were mothers of 0- to 8-year-old children. For each N&G newsletter, the participants' perception regarding the outcomes of specific N&G webpages was gathered using a content-validated Information Assessment Method (IAM) questionnaire. Differences between participants of low SES versus others were estimated. Qualitative component (QUAL) was interpretive; participants were low-SES mothers. The thematic analysis of interview transcripts identified participants' characteristics and different sources of information depending on information needs. Findings from the two components were integrated (QUAN+QUAL integration) through the conceptual framework and assimilated into the description of an ideal-typical mother of low SES (Kate). A narrative describes Kate's perception of the outcomes of web-based parenting information and her perspective on contextual factors, information needs, and behavior associated with these outcomes.ResultsQUAN-a total of 1889 participants completed 2447 IAM responses (50 from mothers of low SES and 2397 from other mothers). N&G information was more likely to help low-SES participants to better understand something, decrease worries, and increase self-confidence in decision making. QUAL-the 40 participants (21 N&G users and 19 nonusers) used 4 information sources in an iterative manner: websites, forums, relatives, and professionals. The integration of QUAN and QUAL findings provides a short narrative, Kate, which summarizes the main findings.ConclusionsThis is the first study comparing perceptions of information outcomes in low-SES mothers with those of other mothers. Findings suggest that equity-oriented, web-based parenting information can offer equal benefits to all, including low-SES mothers. The short narrative, Kate, can be quickly read by decision policy makers, for example, web editors, and might encourage them to reach the underserved and provide and assess trustworthy web-based consumer health information in a format that is easy to read, listen, or watch.

Project description:ImportanceHeat exposure is known to have a complex set of physiological effects on multiple organ systems, but current understanding of the health effects is mostly based on studies investigating a small number of prespecified health outcomes such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.ObjectivesTo identify possible causes of hospital admissions during extreme heat events and to estimate their risks using historical data.Design, setting, and populationMatched analysis of time series data describing daily hospital admissions of Medicare enrollees (23.7 million fee-for-service beneficiaries [aged ≥65 years] per year; 85% of all Medicare enrollees) for the period 1999 to 2010 in 1943 counties in the United States with at least 5 summers of near-complete (>95%) daily temperature data.ExposuresHeat wave periods, defined as 2 or more consecutive days with temperatures exceeding the 99th percentile of county-specific daily temperatures, matched to non-heat wave periods by county and week.Main outcomes and measuresDaily cause-specific hospitalization rates by principal discharge diagnosis codes, grouped into 283 disease categories using a validated approach.ResultsRisks of hospitalization for fluid and electrolyte disorders, renal failure, urinary tract infection, septicemia, and heat stroke were statistically significantly higher on heat wave days relative to matched non-heat wave days, but risk of hospitalization for congestive heart failure was lower (P < .05). Relative risks for these disease groups were 1.18 (95% CI, 1.12-1.25) for fluid and electrolyte disorders, 1.14 (95% CI, 1.06-1.23) for renal failure, 1.10 (95% CI, 1.04-1.16) for urinary tract infections, 1.06 (95% CI, 1.00-1.11) for septicemia, and 2.54 (95% CI, 2.14-3.01) for heat stroke. Absolute risk differences were 0.34 (95% CI, 0.22-0.46) excess admissions per 100,000 individuals at risk for fluid and electrolyte disorders, 0.25 (95% CI, 0.12-0.39) for renal failure, 0.24 (95% CI, 0.09-0.39) for urinary tract infections, 0.21 (95% CI, 0.01-0.41) for septicemia, and 0.16 (95% CI, 0.10-0.22) for heat stroke. For fluid and electrolyte disorders and heat stroke, the risk of hospitalization increased during more intense and longer-lasting heat wave periods (P < .05). Risks were generally highest on the heat wave day but remained elevated for up to 5 subsequent days.Conclusions and relevanceAmong older adults, periods of extreme heat were associated with increased risk of hospitalization for fluid and electrolyte disorders, renal failure, urinary tract infection, septicemia, and heat stroke. However, the absolute risk increase was small and of uncertain clinical importance.

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Risk screening methods for extreme heat: Implications for equity-oriented adaptation.

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Risk screening methods for extreme heat: Implications for equity-oriented adaptation.

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