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The Impact of Extreme Weather and Climate on Human Health
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The Impact of Extreme Weather and Climate on Human Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2025 | Viewed by 6719

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Riana R. Pryor

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Research and Education in Special Environments, Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Interests: the impact of extreme environments on worker and Warfighter health and safety

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The warming global climate and projected increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events places humans at an increased risk of potentially detrimental health burdens. An increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires, and similar weather events will contribute to the ever-evolving need to understand the impact of climate and weather on health, create evidence-based solutions to prevent detrimental health impacts, and support resiliency efforts to adapt to our new normal. These topics are not only important for healthy populations across different lifespans, but are particularly important for populations spending extended time outdoors, such as laborers and military members. Further, clinical populations, including individuals with cardiovascular disease, pulmonary conditions, overweight/obesity, and metabolic disorders, can be at a greater risk of health impacts due to extreme weather. The purpose of this Special Issue is to highlight emerging research on the impact of extreme weather and climate on acute and long-term outcomes of human health, and emerging strategies to maintain a healthy population in the face of a changing climate.

Dr. Riana R. Pryor
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • extreme weather
  • climate change
  • environment
  • heat wave
  • thermoregulation
  • pollution
  • health and well-being

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 565 KiB  
Article
Validity of an ICD-10 Coding Algorithm for Acute Heat Illness in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Cohort Study
by Hasan Baassiri, Timothy Varghese, Kristin K. Clemens, Alexandra M. Ouédraogo, Kristine Van Aarsen, Branka Vujčić and Justin W. Yan
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(9), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091132 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 933
Abstract
Acute heat illness (AHI) from extreme environmental heat exposure can lead to emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization, and even death. While the ICD ninth revision codes for AHI have been validated in the U.S., there have been no studies on the validity of [...] Read more.
Acute heat illness (AHI) from extreme environmental heat exposure can lead to emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalization, and even death. While the ICD ninth revision codes for AHI have been validated in the U.S., there have been no studies on the validity of ICD-10 codes for AHI in Canada. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of an ICD-10 coding algorithm for ED encounters for AHI. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children and adults who had ED encounters at two large academic, tertiary hospitals in London, Canada, between May and September 2014–2018. We developed an algorithm of ICD-10 codes for AHI based upon a literature review and clinical expertise. Our “gold-standard” definition of AHI was patient-reported heat exposure and documentation of at least one heat-related complaint. To establish positive predictive value (PPV), we reviewed 62 algorithm-positive records and noted which met our “gold-standard” definition. To calculate negative predictive value (NPV), sensitivity (Sn), and specificity (Sp), we randomly reviewed 964 ED records for associated ICD-10 codes and diagnoses. Two independent reviewers completed blinded data abstraction, with duplicate abstraction in 20% of the sample. Of the 62 algorithm-positive records, mean (SD) age was 38.8 (23.8) years; 37% were female. PPV was 61.3 ± 12.1% (95% CI). Of the 964 randomly selected records, mean (SD) age was 41.7 (26.5) years; 51.1% were female. The NPV was 99.7 ± 0.4%, sensitivity 25.0 ± 42.4%, and specificity 100.0 ± 0.0%. An ICD-10 coding algorithm for AHI had high specificity but was limited in sensitivity. This algorithm can be used to assemble and study cohorts of patients who have had an AHI, but may underestimate the true incidence of AHI presentations in the ED. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Extreme Weather and Climate on Human Health)
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13 pages, 1449 KiB  
Article
Plateau in Core Temperature during Shorter but Not Longer Work/Rest Cycles in Heat
by Joseph P. Bachraty, JianBo Qiao, Elizabeth S. Powers, Lesley W. Vandermark, J. Luke Pryor and Riana R. Pryor
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(3), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030371 - 20 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1959
Abstract
This study compared physiological responses to two work/rest cycles of a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio in a hot environment. In a randomized crossover design, fourteen participants completed 120 min of walking and rest in the heat (36.3 ± 0.6 °C, 30.2 ± 4.0% relative [...] Read more.
This study compared physiological responses to two work/rest cycles of a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio in a hot environment. In a randomized crossover design, fourteen participants completed 120 min of walking and rest in the heat (36.3 ± 0.6 °C, 30.2 ± 4.0% relative humidity). Work/rest cycles were (1) 40 min work/20 min rest [40/20], or (2) 20 min work/10 min rest [20/10], both completing identical work. Core temperature (Tc), skin temperature (Tsk), heart rate (HR), nude body mass, and perception of work were collected. Comparisons were made between trials at equal durations of work using three-way mixed model ANOVA. Tc plateaued in [20/10] during the second hour of work (p = 0.93), while Tc increased in [40/20] (p < 0.01). There was no difference in maximum Tc ([40/20]: 38.08 ± 0.35 °C, [20/10]: 37.99 ± 0.27 °C, p = 0.22) or end-of-work Tsk ([40/20]: 36.1 ± 0.8 °C, [20/10]: 36.0 ± 0.7 °C, p = 0.45). End-of-work HR was greater in [40/20] (145 ± 25 b·min−1) compared to [20/10] (141 ± 27 b·min−1, p = 0.04). Shorter work/rest cycles caused a plateau in Tc while longer work/rest cycles resulted in a continued increase in Tc throughout the work, indicating that either work structure could be used during shorter work tasks, while work greater than 2 h in duration may benefit from shorter work/rest cycles to mitigate hyperthermia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Extreme Weather and Climate on Human Health)
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Review

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20 pages, 1169 KiB  
Review
Gender Inequities in the Impact of Climate Change on Health: A Scoping Review
by Melina Denise Zavala, Cintia Cejas, Adolfo Rubinstein and Analia Lopez
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081093 - 19 Aug 2024
Viewed by 2374
Abstract
In the 21st century, climate change has emerged as a critical global public health challenge. Women experience the most severe impacts of climate change, intensifying pre-existing gender inequalities. This scoping review aims to explore the intersection of climate change, health, and gender, considering [...] Read more.
In the 21st century, climate change has emerged as a critical global public health challenge. Women experience the most severe impacts of climate change, intensifying pre-existing gender inequalities. This scoping review aims to explore the intersection of climate change, health, and gender, considering the social determinants of health. The methods for this review follow the Arksey and O’Malley framework for a scoping review and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The review, covering January 2019 to February 2024, included PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases. We identified 71 studies with 19 meeting the inclusion criteria. The results revealed the differential effects of climate change on health according to gender in areas such as mental health, reproductive health, gender-based violence, occupational health, and health issues associated with heat and air pollution. Our findings also elucidated how socio-economic and gender inequities intersect, exacerbating the risk of experiencing these effects. In conclusion, the study highlights a clear need for gender-sensitive climate policies and interventions to address these disparities and protect vulnerable populations from the health impacts of climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Extreme Weather and Climate on Human Health)
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