“Can You Take the Heat?” Heat-Induced Health Symptoms Are Associated with Protective Behaviors

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22332415
AutoresEmily D Esplin (0000-0003-2737-4857, Utah State University), Jennifer R Marlon (0000-0002-8299-9609, Yale University), Anthony Leiserowitz (0000-0001-5349-409X, Yale University), P David Howe (0000-0002-1555-3746, Utah State University)
Año2019
Volumen11
Número2
Páginas401-417
Fecha de publicación2019-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWeather, Climate, and Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1948-8327 • E-ISSN: 1948-8335
EditorialAmerican Meteorological Society (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1175/wcas-d-18-0035.1
OpenAlexW2913273709
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas17
Referencias citadas89

The risks associated with extreme heat are increasing as heat waves become more frequent and severe across larger areas. As people begin to experience heat waves more often and in more places, how will individuals respond? Measuring experience with heat simply as exposure to extreme temperatures may not fully capture how people subjectively experience those temperatures or their varied impacts on human health. These impacts may also influence an individual’s response to heat and motivate risk-reduction behaviors. If subjectively experiencing negative health effects from extreme heat promotes protective actions, these effects could be used alongside temperature exposure to more accurately measure extreme heat experience and inform risk prevention and communication strategies according to local community needs. Using a multilevel regression model, this study analyzes georeferenced national survey data to assess whether Americans’ exposure to extreme heat and experience with its health effects are associated with self-reported protective behaviors. Subjective experience with heat-related health symptoms strongly predicted all reported protective behaviors while measured heat exposure had a much weaker influence. Risk perception was strongly associated with some behaviors. This study focuses particularly on the practice of checking on family, friends, and neighbors during a heat wave, which can be carried out by many people. For this behavior, age, race/ethnicity, gender, and income, along with subjective experience and risk perception, were important predictors. Results suggest that the subjective experience of extreme heat influences health-related behavioral responses and should therefore be considered when designing or improving local heat protection plans

Climate change · Environmental health · Extreme heat · Extreme weather · Geography · Heat illness · Heat wave · Meteorology · Perception · Poison control · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Health, psychology, and well-being · Medicine · Optimism, Hope, and Well-being · Psychology · Social Psychology · Ecology