title: Measuring personal heat exposure in an urban and rural environment.
abstract: Previous studies have linked heat waves to adverse health outcomes using ambient temperature as a proxy for estimating exposure. The goal of the present study was to test a method for determining personal heat exposure. An occupationally exposed group (urban groundskeepers in Birmingham, AL, USA N=21), as well as urban and rural community members from Birmingham, AL (N=30) or west central AL (N=30) wore data logging temperature and light monitors clipped to the shoe for 7 days during the summer of 2012. We found that a temperature monitor clipped to the shoe provided a comfortable and feasible method for recording personal heat exposure. Ambient temperature (°C) recorded at the nearest weather station was significantly associated with personal heat exposure [β 0.37, 95%CI (0.35, 0.39)], particularly in groundskeepers who spent more of their total time outdoors [β 0.42, 95%CI (0.39, 0.46)]. Factors significantly associated with lower personal heat exposure include reported time indoors [β -2.02, 95%CI (-2.15, -1.89)], reported income>20K [β -1.05, 95%CI (-1.79, -0.30)], and measured % body fat [β -0.07, 95%CI (-0.12, -0.02)]. There were significant associations between income and % body fat with lower indoor and nighttime exposures, but not with outdoor heat exposure, suggesting modifications of the home thermal environment play an important role in determining overall heat exposure. Further delineation of the effect of personal characteristics on heat exposure may help to develop targeted strategies for preventing heat-related illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Molly C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bernhard
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, UAB, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Shia T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, UAB, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Meagan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sloan
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Community Health, School of Public Health, UAB, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, UAB, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gohlke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama; D001823:Body Composition; D004777:Environment; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D012923:Social Class; D013472:Sunlight; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Heat exposure; Occupational heat exposure; Outdoor versus indoor exposure; Personal exposure; Sunlight exposure