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Heterogeneity in individually experienced temperatures (IETs) within an urban neighborhood: insights from a new approach to measuring heat exposure

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Abstract

Urban environmental health hazards, including exposure to extreme heat, have become increasingly important to understand in light of ongoing climate change and urbanization. In cities, neighborhoods are often considered a homogenous and appropriate unit with which to assess heat risk. This manuscript presents results from a pilot study examining the variability of individually experienced temperatures (IETs) within a single urban neighborhood. In July 2013, 23 research participants were recruited from the South End neighborhood of Boston and equipped with Thermochron iButtons that measured the air temperatures surrounding individuals as they went about their daily lives. IETs were measured during a heat wave period (July 17–20), which included 2 days with excessive heat warnings and 1 day with a heat advisory, as well as a reference period (July 20–23) in which temperatures were below seasonal averages. IETs were not homogeneous during the heat wave period; mean IETs were significantly different between participants (p < 0.001). The majority of participants recorded IETs significantly lower than outdoor ambient temperatures (OATs), and on average, the mean IET was 3.7 °C below the mean OAT. Compared with IETs during the reference period, IETs during the heat wave period were 1.0 °C higher. More than half of participants did not experience statistically different temperatures between the two test periods, despite the fact that the mean OAT was 6.5 °C higher during the heat wave period. The IET data collected for this sample and study period suggest that (1) heterogeneity in individual heat exposure exists within this neighborhood and that (2) outdoor temperatures misrepresent the mean experienced temperatures during a heat wave period. Individual differences in attributes (gender, race, socioeconomic status, etc.), behaviors (schedules, preferences, lifestyle, etc.), and access to resources are overlooked determinants of heat exposure and should be better integrated with group- and neighborhood-level characteristics. Understanding IETs for the population at large may lead to innovative advances in heat-health intervention and mitigation strategies.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the participants for their time and willingness to contribute to this study. Evan Kuras, who developed the project for his senior thesis, was supported by Boston University’s Kilachand Honors College and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. David Hondula was supported by the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Health Policy Informatics Initiative at Arizona State University. The authors thank Nathan Phillips (Boston University) for helping design the study, Sharon Harlan (Arizona State University) for helping connect members of the research team, and Lucy Hutyra (Boston University) and Jennifer Vanos (Texas Tech University) and Sharon Harlan for their valuable guidance and suggestions that improved the analysis and manuscript. The authors extend a special thanks to Janneke Hille Ris Lambers (University of Washington) for her donation of iButtons early in the planning process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    E. R. Kuras

  2. Center for Policy Informatics, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    D. M. Hondula

  3. School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    D. M. Hondula

  4. Sociology Department, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    J. Brown-Saracino

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  1. E. R. Kuras
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  2. D. M. Hondula
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  3. J. Brown-Saracino
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Correspondence to E. R. Kuras.

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Kuras, E.R., Hondula, D.M. & Brown-Saracino, J. Heterogeneity in individually experienced temperatures (IETs) within an urban neighborhood: insights from a new approach to measuring heat exposure. Int J Biometeorol 59, 1363–1372 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0946-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0946-x

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