Association of Rising Ambient Temperatures with Increased Violence Worldwide: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Climate change significantly impacts global human health.
• Rising temperatures are associated with various health issues, including violence.
• The link between climate change and interpersonal violence is an under-researched area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the association between temperature and interpersonal violence.
• To quantify the impact of temperature increases on different forms of violence.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines (PubMed, Epistemonikos).
• Inclusion of peer-reviewed, English-language studies measuring temperature-violence associations.
• Data extraction on violence types (homicides, assaults, etc.) and quality assessment (Joanna Briggs Institute criteria).

Main Results:

• 37 studies from 11 countries were included; 46% from the US.
• Rising temperatures significantly correlated with increased homicides, assaults, sexual assaults, firearm violence, intimate partner violence, and violent suicides.
• A meta-analysis indicated a 1.64% increase in violence for every 1°C rise in temperature.

Conclusions:

• A significant association exists between rising temperatures and global violence/self-harm.
• Urgent public health strategies are needed to mitigate climate change-driven violence.
• Interventions should address the societal and health consequences of temperature increases.