Factors That Influence Climate Change-Related Mortality in the United States: An Integrative Review

Ruth McDermott-Levy, Madeline Scolio, Kabindra M. Shakya and Caroline H. Moore
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Ruth McDermott-Levy: M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
Madeline Scolio: Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
Kabindra M. Shakya: Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
Caroline H. Moore: Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-21

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: climate change; mortality; integrative review; climate change-related mortality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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