Cold Weather Conditions and Risk of Hypothermia Among People Experiencing Homelessness
Implications for Prevention Strategies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15499238 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Paige Zhang (0000-0002-8727-149X), Kathryn Wiens (0000-0003-3451-6788, University of Toronto), Ri Wang (0000-0002-6251-6737), Linh Luong (0000-0002-6723-4763), Donna Ansara (Toronto Public Health), Stephanie Gower (Toronto Public Health), Kate Bassil (Toronto Public Health), Sung-Wook Hwang (0000-0002-1276-1101, University of New Brunswick, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 18 |
| Pages | 3259-3259 |
| Publication date | 2019-09-05 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijerph16183259 |
| PMID | 31491874 |
| OpenAlex | W2971442940 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 6 |
Hypothermia is a preventable condition that disproportionately affects individuals who experience homelessness, yet limited data exist to inform the response to cold weather. To fill this gap, we examined the association between meteorological conditions and the risk of hypothermia among homeless individuals. Hypothermic events were identified from emergency department charts and coroner's records between 2004 and 2015 in Toronto, Canada. A time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the meteorological conditions (minimum temperature and precipitation) and the risk of hypothermia. There were 97 hypothermic events identified: 79 injuries and 18 deaths. The odds of experiencing a hypothermic event increased 1.64-fold (95% CI: 1.30-2.07) with every 5 °C decrease in the minimum daily temperature and 1.10-fold (95% CI: 1.03-1.17) with every 1 mm increase in precipitation. The risk of hypothermia among individuals experiencing homelessness increased with declining temperature; however, most cases occurred during periods of low and moderate cold stress. 72% occurred when the minimum daily temperatures were warmer than -15 °C. These findings highlight the importance of providing a seasonal cold weather response to prevent hypothermia, complemented by an alert-based response on extremely cold days
Anesthesia · Climate change · Cold weather · Extreme weather · Geography · Hypothermia · Logistic regression · Medical emergency · Meteorology · Odds · Odds ratio · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Demography · Health disparities and outcomes · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Emergency Medicine · Internal Medicine
Association between Homelessness and Temperature-Related Health Emergencies in the United States
Evidence-informed recommendations for municipal supports of people experiencing homelessness during extreme weather events
Frostbite and hypothermia among individuals experiencing homelessness in the south interior region of BC
Universal health coverage for people experiencing homelessness in disasters
Identifying Risk Factors for Hospitalization with Behavioral Health Disorders and Concurrent Temperature-Related Illness in New York State
The Effect of Minimum and Maximum Air Temperatures in the Summer on Heat Stroke in Japan
Global Climate Implications for Homelessness
World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated
Mortality risk attributable to high and low ambient temperature
Burden and Risk Factors for Cold-Related Illness and Death in New York City
Hypothermia and mortality and morbidity. An epidemiological analysis
Exposure to Natural Cold and Heat
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |