UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Department of Medicine Statistics Core, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Mar 23;15(4):580. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15040580.
Heat is a well-recognized hazard for workers in many outdoor settings, yet few investigations have compared the prevalence of outdoor work at the community level and rates of heat-related mortality and morbidity. This analysis examines whether heat-related health outcomes occur more frequently in communities with higher proportions of residents working in construction, agriculture, and other outdoor industries. Using 2005-2010 data from Los Angeles County, California, we analyze associations between community-level rates of deaths, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations during summer heat events and the prevalence of outdoor work. We find generally higher rates of heat-related ED visits and hospitalizations during summer heat events in communities with more residents working outdoors. Specifically, each percentage increase in residents working in construction resulted in an 8.1 percent increase in heat-related ED visits and a 7.9 percent increase in heat-related hospitalizations, while each percentage increase in residents working in agriculture and related sectors resulted in a 10.9 percent increase in heat-related ED visits. The findings suggest that outdoor work may significantly influence the overall burden of heat-related morbidity at the community level. Public health professionals and healthcare providers should recognize work and employment as significant heat risk factors when preparing for and responding to extreme heat events.
热是许多户外环境中工人面临的一个公认的危害，但很少有研究比较过社区层面的户外工作比例和与热有关的死亡率和发病率。本分析研究了在从事建筑、农业和其他户外行业的居民比例较高的社区中，与热有关的健康结果是否更频繁地发生。利用加利福尼亚州洛杉矶县 2005-2010 年的数据，我们分析了社区层面在夏季高温事件期间的死亡率、急诊室（ED）就诊率和住院率与户外工作比例之间的关联。我们发现，在从事户外工作的居民比例较高的社区中，夏季高温事件期间与热有关的 ED 就诊率和住院率通常更高。具体来说，从事建筑工作的居民比例每增加一个百分点，与热有关的 ED 就诊率就会增加 8.1%，与热有关的住院率就会增加 7.9%，而从事农业和相关部门工作的居民比例每增加一个百分点，与热有关的 ED 就诊率就会增加 10.9%。研究结果表明，户外工作可能会显著影响社区层面与热有关的发病率的总体负担。公共卫生专业人员和医疗保健提供者在为极端高温事件做准备和应对时，应将工作和就业视为重要的热风险因素。
