The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing. 1720 2 Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294.
Auburn University College of Nursing, 710 South Donahue Drive, Auburn University, Alabama 36849.
J Natl Black Nurses Assoc. 2022 Jul;33(1):33-39.
Global warming and environmental heat stress are public health concerns. Urban heat islands, metropolitan areas with higher temperatures compared to their surrounding rural areas, compound the effects of increased environmental heat. In addition to acute heat-related illness, increased environmental heat is linked to exacerbation of chronic diseases. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide an overview of heat islands and how the effects of heat stress intersect with chronic diseases in the African American (AA) community. Across the United States, AAs are more likely to reside in heat islands, resulting in greater exposure to environmental heat. Unfortunately, chronic diseases exacerbated by increased environmental heat disproportionately impact the AA community. Due to the intersection of these disparities, heat-related health risks are likely higher for the AAs. The increased health risks posed by urban heat island exposure on AAs have significant implications for nursing practice, research, and policy.
全球变暖和环境热应激是公共卫生关注的问题。与周围农村地区相比,城市热岛是温度较高的大都市区,加剧了环境热的影响。除了与急性热相关的疾病外,环境热的增加还与慢性病的恶化有关。本叙述性综述的目的是概述热岛以及热应激如何与非裔美国人(AA)社区的慢性病相互作用。在美国,非裔美国人更有可能居住在热岛中,从而使他们更多地暴露在环境热中。不幸的是,由环境热增加引起的慢性病对非裔美国人的影响不成比例。由于这些差异的交叉,非裔美国人的与热相关的健康风险可能更高。非裔美国人暴露在城市热岛中所带来的健康风险增加对护理实践、研究和政策具有重要意义。