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- Creators: Ammerman, Mark C.
- Member of: Programs and Communities
Background:
The evidence that heat waves can result in both increased deaths and illness is substantial, and concern over this issue is rising because of climate change. Adverse health impacts from heat waves can be avoided, and epidemiologic studies have identified specific population and community characteristics that mark vulnerability to heat waves.
Objectives:
We situated vulnerability to heat in geographic space and identified potential areas for intervention and further research.
Methods:
We mapped and analyzed 10 vulnerability factors for heat-related morbidity/mortality in the United States: six demographic characteristics and two household air conditioning variables from the U.S. Census Bureau, vegetation cover from satellite images, and diabetes prevalence from a national survey. We performed a factor analysis of these 10 variables and assigned values of increasing vulnerability for the four resulting factors to each of 39,794 census tracts. We added the four factor scores to obtain a cumulative heat vulnerability index value.
Results:
Four factors explained > 75% of the total variance in the original 10 vulnerability variables: a) social/environmental vulnerability (combined education/poverty/race/green space), b) social isolation, c) air conditioning prevalence, and d) proportion elderly/diabetes. We found substantial spatial variability of heat vulnerability nationally, with generally higher vulnerability in the Northeast and Pacific Coast and the lowest in the Southeast. In urban areas, inner cities showed the highest vulnerability to heat.
Conclusions:
These methods provide a template for making local and regional heat vulnerability maps. After validation using health outcome data, interventions can be targeted at the most vulnerable populations.
The ASU School of Dance presents Emerging Artists I, February 9-12, with works by guest artists, dance faculty, and students, performed at Dance Studio Theatre, PEBE 132.
The ASU School of Dance presents Rhythms of Life, November 3-5, with works by guest artists performed at Dance Studio Theatre, PEBE 132.
The ASU School of Dance presents Celebrating the Nagrin Legend, September 16-18, with works by dance faculty and visiting artists, performed at the Galvin Playhouse Theatre.
The ASU School of Dance presents New Danceworks I, October 20-23, with works by dance graduate students, performed at the Dance Studio Theatre, PEBE 132.
The ASU School of Dance presents Sharing Unimaginable Worlds: Spring Concert 2006, April 27-30, with works by dance faculty, alumni, graduate, undergraduate, and visiting artists, performed at Galvin Playhouse.
The ASU School of Dance presents Poetry Both Fierce and Fragile: Spring Concert, April 19-22, with works by guest artists, dance faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students, performed at Galvin Playhouse.
The ASU School of Dance presents Emerging Artists I, February 15-18, with works by guest artists, dance faculty, and undergrad students, performed at Dance Studio Theatre, PEBE 132.
The ASU School of Dance presents Emerging Artists II, February 16-19, with works by dance faculty and undergrad students, performed at Dance Studio Theatre, PEBE 132.
The ASU School of Dance presents Graduate Showings, March 8, with works by dance graduate students, performed at the Dance Studio Theatre, PEBE 132.