ArticleBMC public health2026
High heat exposure and climate anxiety among rural women in Tamil Nadu: health and social impacts.
Article in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundExtreme heat events pose a significant threat to human health, affecting both physical and mental well-being. Women in rural areas suffer from heat exposure due to their gender-specific responsibilities and restricted cooling access, which elevates their climate-related psychological distress. This study examines the intersection between heat exposure, physiological strain, and heat-related mental health burdens among rural women in Tamil Nadu, India.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between April and August 2025 across 15 rural villages in Tamil Nadu, India, among 350 rural women. Ambient temperature was quantified using Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) monitors (QuestTemp 3 M) during the peak hours. Data was collected using a structured, modified HOTHAPS questionnaire that covered demographics, heat exposure patterns, self-reported heat-related illnesses (HRIs), and the social impacts of heat. Psychological stress due to heat exposures was evaluated using a culturally adapted Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS), a multi-domain tool that measures rumination, affective responses, behavioral changes, and personal impact concerns. Multivariable logistic regression was performed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 to examine associations between heat exposure and health outcomes, adjusting for age, education, income, and the availability of cooling resources.
resultsParticipants (mean age 34.5 ± 7.5 years) experienced an average daily WBGT of 30.4 ± 2.3 °C, with 85% women exposed above the WBGT (≥ 28 °C). 75% of women reported HRIs, primarily fatigue (60%), heat rash (57%), and muscle cramps (45%). Exposure to high heat (WBGT ≥ 28.0 °C) increased the risk of HRI (OR: 10.5; 95% CI: 5.7-19.1). 80% of them reported moderate-to-severe heat-related psychological distress, with 34% reporting severe levels. Eco-anxiety was significantly higher among those with extreme heat exposure (OR: 6.3, 95% CI: 2.9-14.1), and this exposure independently predicted impaired household functioning, including reduced caregiving capacity (aOR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.8-5.4).
conclusionsRural women in Tamil Nadu experience substantial heat-related physical and psychological health burdens. The high prevalence of HRIs and eco-anxiety levels among women underscores urgent needs for gender-sensitive heat adaptation strategies integrating both physical protection and mental health support in climate resilience planning.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.