Ambient Temperature and Emergency Hospital Admissions in People Experiencing Homelessness: London, United Kingdom, 2011-2019.

Abstract

Objectives. To assess the impacts of ambient temperature on hospitalizations of people experiencing homelessness. Methods. We used daily time-series regression analysis employing distributed lag nonlinear models of 148 177 emergency inpatient admissions with "no fixed abode" and 20 804 admissions with a diagnosis of homelessness in London, United Kingdom, in 2011 through 2019. Results. There was a significantly increased risk of hospitalization associated with high temperature; at 25°C versus the minimum morbidity temperature (MMT), relative risks were 1.359 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.216, 1.580) and 1.351 (95% CI = 1.039, 1.757) for admissions with "no fixed abode" and admissions with a homelessness diagnosis, respectively. Between 14.5% and 18.9% of admissions were attributable to temperatures above the MMT. No significant associations were observed with cold. Conclusions. There is an elevated risk of hospitalization associated with even moderately high temperatures in individuals experiencing homelessness. Risks are larger than those reported in the general population. Public Health Implications. Greater emphasis should be placed on addressing homeless vulnerabilities during hot weather rather than cold. Activation thresholds for interventions such as the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) could be better aligned with health risks. Given elevated risks at even moderate temperatures, our findings support prioritization of prevention-oriented measures, rather than crisis response, to address homelessness. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(9):981-984. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307351).