Scholarlink

<p>Heat index (HI) has increased rapidly over the past few decades and emerged as a serious health concern. This study examines the relationship between HI and health outcomes in rural areas of south-western coastal Bangladesh. The study employs a mixed-method approach combining quantitative health survey with qualitative focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. In addition, it collects secondary long-term and primary in-house temperature and humidity to compute HI and analyze trends. Illness score is derived by principal component analysis on HI-related symptoms. The results indicate that the annual mean and maximum HIs have increased by 2.4&#xa0;°C and 6.0&#xa0;°C, respectively, at Khulna over the last 46 years. The extremely hot days have also increased rapidly. Tin-shed (rudimentary 2) houses have 1.5&#xa0;°C, 1.9&#xa0;°C, and 3.5&#xa0;°C higher HIs than the pucca (furnished), semi-pucca (rudimentary 1), and katcha (natural) houses, respectively. HI shows a strong correlation (<i>p</i> = 0.01) with heat rashes, and significant correlations (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) with heat edema, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion. Multiple regression analysis reveals that people being old, working outdoors, living in tin-shed houses, using tobacco, suffering from chronic diseases, living below poverty line, having low education, having no access to early warning information and lacking preparedness are more likely to experience heat-related illnesses. The study suggests strengthening early warning of HI, constructing heat-reducing houses, building heat-resilient health systems, and transitioning to freshwater crop from saltwater shrimp to mitigate the HI-induced health risks.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Impacts of heat index on health risks among coastal rural population in Bangladesh

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月13日

查看全文
  • Biplob Kanti Mondal,
  • M. Shahjahan Mondal,
  • Zahid Hayat Mahmud

摘要

Heat index (HI) has increased rapidly over the past few decades and emerged as a serious health concern. This study examines the relationship between HI and health outcomes in rural areas of south-western coastal Bangladesh. The study employs a mixed-method approach combining quantitative health survey with qualitative focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. In addition, it collects secondary long-term and primary in-house temperature and humidity to compute HI and analyze trends. Illness score is derived by principal component analysis on HI-related symptoms. The results indicate that the annual mean and maximum HIs have increased by 2.4 °C and 6.0 °C, respectively, at Khulna over the last 46 years. The extremely hot days have also increased rapidly. Tin-shed (rudimentary 2) houses have 1.5 °C, 1.9 °C, and 3.5 °C higher HIs than the pucca (furnished), semi-pucca (rudimentary 1), and katcha (natural) houses, respectively. HI shows a strong correlation (p = 0.01) with heat rashes, and significant correlations (p < 0.05) with heat edema, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion. Multiple regression analysis reveals that people being old, working outdoors, living in tin-shed houses, using tobacco, suffering from chronic diseases, living below poverty line, having low education, having no access to early warning information and lacking preparedness are more likely to experience heat-related illnesses. The study suggests strengthening early warning of HI, constructing heat-reducing houses, building heat-resilient health systems, and transitioning to freshwater crop from saltwater shrimp to mitigate the HI-induced health risks.