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Tetzlaff EJ, Mourad F, Goulet N, Gorman M, Siblock R, Kidd SA, Bezgrebelna M, Kenny GP. " Death Is a Possibility for Those without Shelter": A Thematic Analysis of News Coverage on Homelessness and the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:405. [PMID: 38673318 PMCID: PMC11050128 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Among the most vulnerable to the health-harming effects of heat are people experiencing homelessness. However, during the 2021 Heat Dome, the deadliest extreme heat event (EHE) recorded in Canada to date, people experiencing homelessness represented the smallest proportion of decedents (n = 3, 0.5%)-despite the impacted region (British Columbia) having some of the highest rates of homelessness in the country. Thus, we sought to explore the 2021 Heat Dome as a media-based case study to identify potential actions or targeted strategies that were initiated by community support agencies, individuals and groups, and communicated in the news during this EHE that may have aided in the protection of this group or helped minimize the mortality impacts. Using media articles collated for a more extensive investigation into the effects of the 2021 Heat Dome (n = 2909), we identified a subset which included content on people experiencing homelessness in Canada (n = 274, 9%). These articles were thematically analysed using NVivo. Three main themes were identified: (i) public warnings issued during the 2021 Heat Dome directly addressed people experiencing homelessness, (ii) community support services explicitly targeting this population were activated during the heat event, and (iii) challenges and barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness during extreme heat were communicated. These findings suggest that mass-media messaging and dedicated on-the-ground initiatives led by various organizations explicitly initiated to support individuals experiencing homelessness during the 2021 Heat Dome may have assisted in limiting the harmful impacts of the heat on this community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Tetzlaff
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; (E.J.T.); (F.M.)
- Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue W., Ottawa, ON K1A 0P8, Canada; (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Farah Mourad
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; (E.J.T.); (F.M.)
| | - Nicholas Goulet
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; (E.J.T.); (F.M.)
- Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue W., Ottawa, ON K1A 0P8, Canada; (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Melissa Gorman
- Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue W., Ottawa, ON K1A 0P8, Canada; (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Rachel Siblock
- Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Safe Environments Directorate, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue W., Ottawa, ON K1A 0P8, Canada; (M.G.); (R.S.)
| | - Sean A. Kidd
- Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1001 Queen Street W., Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada; (S.A.K.); (M.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Mariya Bezgrebelna
- Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1001 Queen Street W., Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada; (S.A.K.); (M.B.)
| | - Glen P. Kenny
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; (E.J.T.); (F.M.)
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4E9, Canada
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Van Tol Z, Vanos JK, Middel A, Ferguson KM. Concurrent Heat and Air Pollution Exposures among People Experiencing Homelessness. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:15003. [PMID: 38261303 PMCID: PMC10805133 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extreme heat and air pollution are important human health concerns; exposure can affect mental and physical well-being, particularly during periods of co-occurrence. Yet, the impacts on people are largely determined by underlying health conditions, coupled with the length and intensity of exposure. Preexisting adverse health conditions and prolonged exposure times are more common for people experiencing homelessness, particularly those with intersectional identity characteristics (e.g., disease, ability, age, etc.). Partially due to methodological limitations, such as data scarcity, there is a lack of research at the intersection of this at-risk population within the climate-health domain. OBJECTIVES We have three distinct objectives throughout this article: a) to advance critical discussions around the state of concurrent high heat and air pollution exposure research as it relates to people experiencing homelessness; b) to assert the importance of heat and air pollution exposure research among a highly vulnerable, too-often homogenized population-people experiencing homelessness; and c) to underline challenges in this area of study while presenting potential ways to address such shortcomings. DISCUSSION The health insights from concurrent air pollution and heat exposure studies are consequential when studying unhoused communities who are already overexposed to harmful environmental conditions. Without holistic data sets and more advanced methods to study concurrent exposures, appropriate and targeted prevention and intervention strategies cannot be developed to protect this at-risk population. We highlight that a) concurrent high heat and air pollution exposure research among people experiencing homelessness is significantly underdeveloped considering the pressing human health implications; b) the severity of physiological responses elicited by high heat and air pollution are predicated on exposure intensity and time, and thus people without means of seeking climate-controlled shelter are most at risk; and c) collaboration among transdisciplinary teams is needed to resolve data resolution issues and enable targeted prevention and intervention strategies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13402.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Van Tol
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Jennifer K. Vanos
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Ariane Middel
- School of Arts, Media and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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