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. 2024 Jan 23;132(1):015003. doi: 10.1289/EHP13402

Figure 1.

Figure 1 is a flowchart with four steps. Step 1: Climate drivers, including stagnant conditions, elevated temperatures, and anthropogenic emissions lead to exposure pathways, including outdoor or indoor times, concurrent high-heat and poor air quality events. Step 2: Social determinants, including occupation and income, pre-existing conditions: disease, mental illness, substance abuse and demographics: age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, etc. lead to exposure pathways, including outdoor or indoor times, concurrent high-heat and poor air quality events and health outcome, including mortality and cardiovascular, pulmonary, cerebrovascular, kidney, and urinary ailments, among others. Step 3: Environmental determinants, including proximity to primary emitters or industry, air conditioning or green spaces, and policy: zoning laws, pollution standards lead to exposure pathways, including outdoor or indoor times, concurrent high-heat and poor air quality events and health outcome, including mortality and cardiovascular, pulmonary, cerebrovascular, kidney, and urinary ailments, among others. Step 4: Exposure pathways, including outdoor or indoor times, concurrent high-heat and poor air quality events lead to health outcome, including mortality and cardiovascular, pulmonary, cerebrovascular, kidney, and urinary ailments, among others. Social determinants and exposure pathways affect the ability to secure housing. Environmental determinants and exposure pathways affect housing quality.

Climate drivers of heat and air pollution. Social and environmental factors play a substantial role in moderating health outcomes related to high temperatures and elevated levels of air pollution by increasing the amount of time an individual is exposed. The overlapping Venn diagram illustrates how social factors influence the ability of an individual to secure housing, whereas environmental factors determine the quality of such housing; the intersection of housing security and quality mediates environmental exposure pathways.