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Understanding heat-driven health risks: Spatiotemporal dynamics and regional vulnerability in new Mexico
Moongi Choi1, Chelsea Eastman Langer2, Colin Hawkinson2
1Department of Geography, Florida State University, 113 Collegiate Loop, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
Health & Place
|January 3, 2026
Summary
Prolonged summer heat significantly impacts hospitalizations, especially when combined with social vulnerabilities. Targeted, region-specific interventions are crucial for managing heat-related health risks and ensuring equitable healthcare access.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Public Health
- Climate Change Adaptation
Background:
- Climate change exacerbates heat-related health risks through complex environmental and social interactions.
- Existing research often overlooks the cumulative effects of prolonged heat and its interplay with social vulnerabilities on overall hospitalization trends.
- Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of heat-risk factors is crucial for public health preparedness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between all-cause hospitalization rates and heat-risk factors (WBGT, social vulnerabilities, PM2.5) in New Mexico (2016-2022).
- To analyze the spatiotemporal variations in hospitalization risk influenced by environmental and social determinants of health.
- To identify regional disparities in heat-related health impacts and inform geographically tailored interventions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a spatiotemporal Bayesian model to assess the relationship between hospitalization rates and heat-risk factors.
- Employed Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) to identify distinct regional patterns and clusters of risk.
- Integrated data on Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), social vulnerability indices, and PM2.5 concentrations.
Main Results:
- The positive association between WBGT and hospitalizations emerged only after accounting for heat-related social vulnerabilities.
- Despite an overall decrease in hospitalization rates, a concerning increase in relative risk suggests potential healthcare access inequalities.
- SOM analysis revealed significant regional heterogeneity, with some areas predominantly influenced by environmental factors and others by social vulnerabilities.
Conclusions:
- Geographically differentiated public health interventions are necessary to address the evolving impact of heat-risk factors.
- Effective resource allocation requires understanding the dominant drivers of heat-related hospitalization risk in specific regions.
- Addressing underlying healthcare access inequalities is vital for mitigating the escalating burden of heat-related illnesses.
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