Gender differences in adaptation to heat in Spain (1983-2018)

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Climate Change Adaptation

Background:

• Spain experiences rising temperatures and increased heat wave frequency/intensity, impacting public health.
• Gender is a determinant of health inequalities, with potential sex-based differences in heat susceptibility.
• Minimum Mortality Temperature (MMT) is a key indicator for assessing heat vulnerability and adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze Minimum Mortality Temperature (MMT) values and their temporal evolution in men and women across Spanish provinces from 1983-2018.
• To investigate sex-based differences in heat vulnerability and adaptation using MMT data.
• To identify provincial-level heterogeneity in MMT trends.

Main Methods:

• Ecological, longitudinal retrospective study using time series data on daily temperature and mortality.
• Calculation of MMT by fitting daily mortality rates to temperature using cubic and quadratic functions.
• Improved methodology for estimating missing MMT values and linear fitting to determine MMT evolution rates per province.

Main Results:

• Average MMT was 29.4°C for men and 28.7°C for women; men's MMT was higher in 86% of provinces, indicating greater female vulnerability.
• Men's MMT evolved at 0.39°C/decade, while women's evolved at 0.53°C/decade, suggesting greater female adaptation to heat.
• Statistically significant differences were found between genders, with considerable provincial-level heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• Women in Spain exhibit higher heat vulnerability but also greater adaptation to rising temperatures compared to men.
• Significant gender disparities in MMT underscore the need for a gender-sensitive approach to heat adaptation strategies.
• Local-level research is crucial to understand factors driving provincial variations and inform targeted public health interventions for extreme heat.