Citation

Wright CY, Dominick F, Kapwata T, Bidassey-Manilal S, Engelbrecht JC, Stich H, Mathee A, Matooane M. Pan. Afr. Med. J. 2019; 34: e40.

Affiliation

Previously Natural Resources and the Environment Unit, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, African Field Epidemiology Network)

DOI

10.11604/pamj.2019.34.40.17569

PMID

31762907

PMCID

PMC6859010

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: 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.

METHODS: 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.

RESULTS: 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.

CONCLUSION: 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.

© Caradee Yael Wright et al.

Language: en

Keywords

Climate change; South Africa; environmental health; heat; temperature exposure