Article
Public perceptions of the health risks of extreme heat across US states, counties, and neighborhoods
PNAS
(2019)
Abstract
Incidents of extreme heat due to global warming pose a growing threat to human health. The health effects of extreme heat depend not only on exposure, however, but also on behavioral responses, which are related to perceived risk. We show that risk perceptions vary at multiple scales across the United States. Some vulnerable populations have higher risk perceptions, such as low-income urban residents, whereas risk perceptions are lower among other vulnerable populations, including places with high proportions of elderly residents. This paper also extends multilevel regression and poststratification methods to a high spatial resolution and independently validates the results. Detailed risk-perception maps can facilitate urban and rural planning for heat waves, targeted risk communication, and resource management in local contexts.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2019
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1813145116
Citation Information
Peter D Howe. "Public perceptions of the health risks of extreme heat across US states, counties, and neighborhoods" PNAS Vol. 116 Iss. 14 (2019) p. 6743 - 6748 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peter_howe/65/