Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Most individuals spend the majority of their time indoors. However, epidemiological evidence of the association between heat and mortality is dominated by studies using outdoor temperature as a proxy for personal exposure. To demonstrate how an exposure-response relationship between indoor heat and mortality may relate to that between outdoor heat and mortality, we develop a novel mathematical modeling approach. This approachuses the relationship between regional daily average indoor and outdoor temperature to map the exposure-response relationship for outdoor heat, estimated by epidemiological studies, to indoor heat. Due to the modifying effect of buildings on heat exposure, we show that a change in indoor temperature may be associated with a greater change in mortality than an equal change in outdoor temperature. This has implications for researchers seeking to assess the health impact of changes in indoor heat exposure. Furthermore, it provides a new theoretical framework for interpreting potential differences in the temperature-mortality relationship of indoor and outdoor heat exposure in epidemiological studies.
Source: Risk Analysis
DOI: 10.1111/risa.70395
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,880
Awards: HEARTH: National Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat, Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (London Hub), G4640849778, Governing the Climate Adaptation of Care Settings, Climate Resilience of Care Settings, Policy and Implementation for Climate & Health Equity (PAICE), Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (London Hub), G5383658752, G627784803, Developing solutions for temperature-related health impacts in the UK, Policy and Implementation for Climate & Health Equity (PAICE)
OpenAlex ID: W7223125194