Assessing the health effects of climate change in Alaska with community-based surveillance

David L. Driscoll (), Erica Mitchell, Rebecca Barker, Janet M. Johnston and Sue Renes
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David L. Driscoll: University of Alaska Anchorage
Erica Mitchell: University of Alaska Anchorage
Rebecca Barker: University of Alaska Anchorage
Janet M. Johnston: University of Alaska Anchorage
Sue Renes: University of Alaska Fairbanks

Climatic Change, 2016, vol. 137, issue 3, No 11, 455-466

Abstract: Abstract The environmental effects of climate change are greatest in the northern latitudes. There is a need for epidemiological investigations to assess the health impacts of climate change on the health of residents of the circumpolar north. This study employed a participatory, community-based surveillance system to collect repeated observations of environmental conditions and syndromic health outcomes in sentinel communities across three ecologically distinct regions of Alaska. The study revealed that unintentional injury was significantly more likely in months when respondents reported unseasonable environmental conditions, and particularly so when they changed travel plans as a consequence of those conditions. The study also found that incidence of respiratory syndromes, such as pollen allergies and asthma, were significantly higher during months when unseasonable environmental conditions were observed. We conclude that unseasonable environmental conditions likely associated with climate change are having adverse effects on the health of circumpolar northern populations.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1007/s10584-016-1687-0

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