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Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal Factors that influence climate change-related mortality in the United States: An integrative review

Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal

Mcdermott-Levy R, Scolio M, Shakya KM, Moore CH
2021
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18 (15)

Global atmospheric warming leads to climate change that results in a cascade of events affecting human mortality directly and indirectly. The factors that influence climate change-related mortality within the peer-reviewed literature were examined using Whittemore and Knafl's framework for an integrative review. Ninety-eight articles were included in the review from three databases-PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus-with literature filtered by date, country, and keywords. Articles included in the review address human mortality related to climate change. The review yielded two broad themes in the literature that addressed the factors that influence climate change-related mortality. The broad themes are environmental changes, and social and demographic factors. The meteorological impacts of climate change yield a complex cascade of environmental and weather events that affect ambient temperatures, air quality, drought, wildfires, precipitation, and vector-, food-, and water-borne pathogens. The identified social and demographic factors were related to the social determinants of health. The environmental changes from climate change amplify the existing health determinants that influence mortality within the United States. Mortality data, national weather and natural disaster data, electronic medical records, and health care provider use of International Classification of Disease (ICD) 10 codes must be linked to identify climate change events to capture the full extent of climate change upon population health.

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Resource Description

    General Exposure
    Rural, Urban
    United States
    Morbidity/Mortality
    Review Article
    Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population
    • Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population: General Vulnerable Populations
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