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Heatwaves and Immigrant Mortality: An Assessment of Vulnerability and Temporal Variation
Jintao Liu1,2, Hung Chak Ho3,4, Shilu Tong5,6
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, China.
Environmental Science & Technology
|December 5, 2025
Summary
Immigrants face higher heatwave mortality risks than nonimmigrants, especially those with shorter residence. This highlights an urgent need to protect vulnerable immigrant populations from extreme heat events.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Public Health
Background:
- Climate change exacerbates extreme weather events like heatwaves.
- Immigrant populations are recognized as vulnerable to climate change impacts.
- Limited understanding exists regarding immigrant vulnerability to heatwaves and temporal trends.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare heatwave-associated mortality risks between immigrants and nonimmigrants in Hong Kong.
- To assess factors influencing immigrant vulnerability, including age at immigration, origin, and duration of residence.
- To examine temporal trends in heatwave-related mortality risk for both groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized daily mortality data from Hong Kong spanning from 2000 to 2016.
- Defined heatwaves as two or more consecutive days with temperatures exceeding a specific threshold.
- Employed statistical analysis to compare mortality risks and assess temporal trends.
Main Results:
- Immigrants exhibited a significantly stronger association between heatwaves and mortality (RR: 1.088) compared to nonimmigrants (RR: 0.975).
- Higher mortality risk was observed in immigrants with shorter residence (≤10 years), younger (≤17 years) or older (≥45 years) age at immigration, and those from mainland China.
- Immigrants showed an upward trend in heatwave mortality risk from 2000-2016, contrasting with a downward trend for nonimmigrants.
Conclusions:
- Immigrants demonstrate elevated heatwave-related mortality risk and reduced adaptive capacity.
- Specific subgroups of immigrants, based on immigration characteristics, are particularly vulnerable.
- Urgent public health interventions are needed to protect immigrants from extreme heat, given increasing immigration and climate change.
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