Concurrent Heat and Air Pollution Exposures among People Experiencing Homelessness
Zachary Van Tol, Jennifer Vanos, Ariane Middel, Kristin M. Ferguson
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Extreme heat and air pollution are important human health concerns; exposure can affect mental and physical well-being, particularly during periods of co-occurrence. Yet, the impacts on people are largely determined by underlying health conditions, coupled with the length and intensity of exposure. Preexisting adverse health conditions and prolonged exposure times are more common for people experiencing homelessness, particularly those with intersectional identity characteristics (e.g., disease, ability, age, etc.). Partially due to methodological limitations, such as data scarcity, there is a lack of research at the intersection of this at-risk population within the climate-health domain. OBJECTIVES: ) to underline challenges in this area of study while presenting potential ways to address such shortcomings. DISCUSSION: ) collaboration among transdisciplinary teams is needed to resolve data resolution issues and enable targeted prevention and intervention strategies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13402.