Spatial Patterns of Heat Vulnerability Constituents across Massachusetts

Abstract

To address the health threat posed by increasing temperatures, it is necessary to understand where those most vulnerable to heat are located. While an overall heat vulnerability index (HVI) can identify which areas experience the composite burden of vulnerability, we elucidate which component factors drive heterogeneity in heat vulnerability across the state of Massachusetts.We constructed a Massachusetts HVI based on the HVI developed for New York State which includes factors describing 4 vulnerability dimensions: social/language; socioeconomic; environmental/urban; and elderly/social isolation. We calculated the individual HVI components for Massachusetts at the census tract level using data from the American Community Survey and National Land Cover Database at two time points, 2006 and 2011.Higher concentrations in urban areas were seen for housing density and social/language factors (race/ethnicity, non-English speaking), with lower concentrations (<10% of the population in a census tract) having the social/language vulnerability factor for the majority of the state. Poverty showed a heterogeneous pattern across the state, with elevated concentrations in both urban and rural areas. Elderly and some socioeconomic factors (disability, unemployed, and older homes) showed high concentrations not only in urban census tracts, but distributed across the state. Changes in spatial distributions of vulnerability factors between 2006 and 2011, were observed in regard to increases in older homes and unemployment, while highly developed area increased by 4.57%.HVI is multifactorial and the individual contributing factors can differentially vary across large geographical areas. Understanding the individual components of HVI can help us identify necessary sociodemographic, land use, and housing targets for statewide heat vulnerability interventions.