www.ready.gov/heat" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">period of time when temperatures stay above 90 degrees Fahrenheit for several days, now contributes to nearly half a million deaths each year. One at-risk group is pregnant women because pregnancy increases the risk of heat-related illness. This is due to the body working harder to cool both the mother and baby, making it easier to overheat and harder to stay hydrated, factors that may contribute to pregnancy complications. Another at-risk group is infants whose bodies are not yet equipped to regulate heat. On the latest episode of "Growing Impact," a team of researchers discussed their project that looks to inform lawmakers with actionable insights to protect these at-risk groups.
Ruohao Zhang is an assistant professor of agricultural economics, sociology and education at Penn State and principal investigator on the project. He said California, which is known for its warm climate and abundant sunshine, experiences more frequent heat waves than many other parts of the U.S. According to a report from the California Department of Insurance, the state saw seven major extreme heat events between 2013 and 2022, resulting in nearly 460 deaths and an estimated $7.7 billion in economic losses.
"Climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent, including these extreme temperature events," he said. "The vulnerability of individuals such as low-income minorities, seniors, children and pregnant women are usually more affected by the extreme weather events. In this project, we are investigating the health impact of extreme temperature events. We are also exploring the socio-economic disparities in relation to these extreme temperatures."
For example, low-income households often don't have or can't afford to use air conditioning.
"Households can certainly use air conditioning systems to overcome extreme temperatures, but it comes with less affordable energy bills," Zhang said. "This makes the impact of the extreme temperature disproportionately greater on low-income households. We hope our study will inform government policies related to affordable energy that may help address social inequity concerns regarding the resilience against these climate change and extreme weather events."
Kristin Sznajder, a collaborator on the project, is an assistant professor of public health sciences in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Penn State College of Medicine. She said because of socio-economic disparities, pregnant women from low-income communities may suffer more from extreme temperatures.
"Think about the potential long-term impact on newborns, despite the immediate social inequity concerns we have here. This may also worsen future social justice challenges by amplifying the intergenerational transmission of health inequity," she said. "Maternal health in the U.S. is of real national importance. Our outcomes in this country are worse than in other developed countries."
According to a 2024 report from The Commonwealth Fund, the U.S. has the highest rate of maternal deaths among wealthy countries, especially for Black women, and more than 80% of these deaths could be prevented.
"Growing Impact" is a podcast by the Institute of Energy and the Environment. It features Penn State researchers who have been awarded IEE seed grants and discusses their foundational work as they further their projects. The podcast is available on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Apple, Amazon and Spotify.
