Wright Caradee Yael, Dominick Friederike, Kapwata Thandi, Bidassey-Manilal Shalin, Engelbrecht Jacobus Christoffel, Stich Heribert, Mathee Angela, Matooane Mamopeli
Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Pan Afr Med J. 2019 Sep 18;34:40. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2019.34.40.17569. eCollection 2019.
Poor urban communities are likely to bear the brunt of climate change impacts on health and well-being. The City of Johannesburg, South Africa, is predicted to experience an average increase in ambient temperature of 4°C by 2100. Focusing on the urban environment, this study aimed to determine socio-economic, infrastructural and health-related risk factors for heat-related adverse health effects.
This was a cross-sectional study. Data of interest were collected using a pretested and validated questionnaire administered to parents of children attending schools participating in a school heat study. Information related to demographic, socio-economic and household-level determinants of health, which has an impact on the individual prevalence of adverse heat-health effects associated with hot weather, was collected for 136 households and 580 individuals.
Sweating (n = 208 individuals; 35%), headache and nausea (n = 111; 19%) and weakness, fatigue and dizziness (n = 87; 15%) were the most common heat-health effects reportedly experienced by individuals (n = 580) during hot weather. Individuals who suffered from hypertension (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.34 - 4.05, p = 0.003) and individuals older than 60 years (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.27-1.99, p < 0.001) compared to other age groups were more likely to experience 'any heat-health effects'. Living in government-sponsored detached housing and in houses with asbestos roofs were associated with an increase in reported experience of 'any heat-health effects' compared to living in other housing types.
Heat-health awareness campaigns should target people suffering from pre-existing diseases and the elderly, as these groups are especially vulnerable to heat. Focus should also be given to appropriate roofing and insulation in government-sponsored housing since summertime temperatures are projected to increase.
贫困的城市社区很可能首当其冲受到气候变化对健康和福祉的影响。预计到2100年，南非约翰内斯堡市的环境温度将平均升高4°C。本研究聚焦于城市环境，旨在确定与热相关的不良健康影响的社会经济、基础设施和健康相关风险因素。
这是一项横断面研究。使用经过预测试和验证的问卷收集感兴趣的数据，该问卷发放给参与学校热研究的学校儿童的家长。收集了136户家庭和580人的与人口统计学、社会经济和家庭层面健康决定因素相关的信息，这些因素会影响与炎热天气相关的热相关不良健康影响的个体患病率。
据报告，在炎热天气期间，580名个体中最常见的热相关健康影响为出汗（208人；35%）、头痛和恶心（111人；19%）以及虚弱、疲劳和头晕（87人；15%）。与其他年龄组相比，患有高血压的个体（比值比=2.32，95%置信区间：1.34 - 4.05，p = 0.003）和60岁以上的个体（比值比=1.81，95%置信区间：1.27 - 1.99，p < 0.001）更有可能经历“任何热相关健康影响”。与居住在其他类型房屋中相比，居住在政府资助的独立式房屋和石棉屋顶房屋中，报告经历“任何热相关健康影响”的情况有所增加。
热健康意识宣传活动应针对患有既往疾病的人和老年人，因为这些群体特别容易受到高温影响。由于预计夏季气温会升高，还应关注政府资助住房的适当屋顶和隔热措施。
