2020
Author(s): Research Action Team of Bridging Climate Change and Public Health in Cooperation with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health
The Research Action Team of Bridging Climate Change and Public Health investigated research related to climate sensitive public health hazards specific to Maricopa County, Arizona and the surrounding Southwest region. Examples of climate-sensitive public health hazards that are important for our area include extreme heat, poor air quality, vector-borne diseases, flooding, and dust storms. A review of the academic research literature revealed 102 relevant publications. Data were extracted from each study to identify gaps in research for potential future studies related to climate-sensitive public health hazards. The data extracted included study design, duration of the study, climate change outcomes, health outcomes, and Arizona county (county vs. All Arizona vs. Southwest). Studies were dated from 1950-2019, with the majority of research within Arizona happening in Maricopa County, Arizona. Heat and air quality are the climate change impacts that have dominated the literature for Arizona thus far. An intersection analysis of climate change impacts and health outcomes revealed these nine important gaps that represent opportunities for future research: 1) (built environment) AND (alternative ways of transportation) 2) (adaptation, mitigation, and interventions) AND (asthma and other respiratory illnesses) 3) (adaptation, mitigation, and interventions) AND (cardiovascular health) 4) (adaptation, mitigation, and interventions) AND (malnutrition) 5) (adaptation, mitigation, and interventions) AND (alternative ways of transportation) 6) (impacts of food supply) AND (malnutrition) 7) (occupational health) AND (asthma and other respiratory illnesses) 8) (occupational health) AND (Valley Fever) 9) (occupational health) AND (cardiovascular health)