Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures
With the growing climate change crisis, public health agencies and practitioners must increasingly develop guidance documents addressing the public health risks and protective measures associated with multi-hazard events. Our Policy and Practice Review aims to assess current public health guidance a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1324662/full |
| _version_ | 1797246741178744832 |
|---|---|
| author | Eric S. Coker Susan Lyon Stone Erin McTigue Jiayun Angela Yao Emily P. Brigham Emily P. Brigham Michael Schwandt Michael Schwandt Sarah B. Henderson |
| author_facet | Eric S. Coker Susan Lyon Stone Erin McTigue Jiayun Angela Yao Emily P. Brigham Emily P. Brigham Michael Schwandt Michael Schwandt Sarah B. Henderson |
| author_sort | Eric S. Coker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the growing climate change crisis, public health agencies and practitioners must increasingly develop guidance documents addressing the public health risks and protective measures associated with multi-hazard events. Our Policy and Practice Review aims to assess current public health guidance and related messaging about co-exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat and recommend strengthened messaging to better protect people from these climate-sensitive hazards. We reviewed public health messaging published by governmental agencies between January 2013 and May 2023 in Canada and the United States. Publicly available resources were eligible if they discussed the co-occurrence of wildfire smoke and extreme heat and mentioned personal interventions (protective measures) to prevent exposure to either hazard. We reviewed local, regional, and national governmental agency messaging resources, such as online fact sheets and guidance documents. We assessed these resources according to four public health messaging themes, including (1) discussions around vulnerable groups and risk factors, (2) symptoms associated with these exposures, (3) health risks of each exposure individually, and (4) health risks from combined exposure. Additionally, we conducted a detailed assessment of current messaging about measures to mitigate exposure. We found 15 online public-facing resources that provided health messaging about co-exposure; however, only one discussed all four themes. We identified 21 distinct protective measures mentioned across the 15 resources. There is considerable variability and inconsistency regarding the types and level of detail across described protective measures. Of the identified 21 protective measures, nine may protect against both hazards simultaneously, suggesting opportunities to emphasize these particular messages to address both hazards together. More precise, complete, and coordinated public health messaging would protect against climate-sensitive health outcomes attributable to wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:47:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-980623428cba42db846e342929a578ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:47:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-980623428cba42db846e342929a578ba2024-03-25T04:29:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-03-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.13246621324662Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposuresEric S. Coker0Susan Lyon Stone1Erin McTigue2Jiayun Angela Yao3Emily P. Brigham4Emily P. Brigham5Michael Schwandt6Michael Schwandt7Sarah B. Henderson8Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, CanadaOffice of Air Quality Planning and Standards, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United StatesAir and Radiation Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region, Seattle, WA, United StatesEnvironmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaVancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, CanadaOffice of the Chief Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver, BC, CanadaSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaEnvironmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, CanadaWith the growing climate change crisis, public health agencies and practitioners must increasingly develop guidance documents addressing the public health risks and protective measures associated with multi-hazard events. Our Policy and Practice Review aims to assess current public health guidance and related messaging about co-exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat and recommend strengthened messaging to better protect people from these climate-sensitive hazards. We reviewed public health messaging published by governmental agencies between January 2013 and May 2023 in Canada and the United States. Publicly available resources were eligible if they discussed the co-occurrence of wildfire smoke and extreme heat and mentioned personal interventions (protective measures) to prevent exposure to either hazard. We reviewed local, regional, and national governmental agency messaging resources, such as online fact sheets and guidance documents. We assessed these resources according to four public health messaging themes, including (1) discussions around vulnerable groups and risk factors, (2) symptoms associated with these exposures, (3) health risks of each exposure individually, and (4) health risks from combined exposure. Additionally, we conducted a detailed assessment of current messaging about measures to mitigate exposure. We found 15 online public-facing resources that provided health messaging about co-exposure; however, only one discussed all four themes. We identified 21 distinct protective measures mentioned across the 15 resources. There is considerable variability and inconsistency regarding the types and level of detail across described protective measures. Of the identified 21 protective measures, nine may protect against both hazards simultaneously, suggesting opportunities to emphasize these particular messages to address both hazards together. More precise, complete, and coordinated public health messaging would protect against climate-sensitive health outcomes attributable to wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1324662/fullclimate changeextreme eventsheatmessagingsmokewildfire |
| spellingShingle | Eric S. Coker Susan Lyon Stone Erin McTigue Jiayun Angela Yao Emily P. Brigham Emily P. Brigham Michael Schwandt Michael Schwandt Sarah B. Henderson Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures Frontiers in Public Health climate change extreme events heat messaging smoke wildfire |
| title | Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures |
| title_full | Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures |
| title_fullStr | Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures |
| title_short | Climate change and health: rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co-exposures |
| title_sort | climate change and health rethinking public health messaging for wildfire smoke and extreme heat co exposures |
| topic | climate change extreme events heat messaging smoke wildfire |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1324662/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ericscoker climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT susanlyonstone climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT erinmctigue climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT jiayunangelayao climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT emilypbrigham climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT emilypbrigham climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT michaelschwandt climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT michaelschwandt climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures AT sarahbhenderson climatechangeandhealthrethinkingpublichealthmessagingforwildfiresmokeandextremeheatcoexposures |