IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i20p10896-d658438.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Climate Change and Child Health Inequality: A Review of Reviews

Author

Listed:
  • Emmanuelle Arpin

    (Canadian Center for Health Economics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada)

  • Karl Gauffin

    (Centre for Health Equity Studies, Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Meghan Kerr

    (Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada)

  • Anders Hjern

    (Centre for Health Equity Studies, Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
    Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Solna, Sweden)

  • Angela Mashford-Pringle

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada)

  • Aluisio Barros

    (Center for Epidemiological Research, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-610, RS, Brazil)

  • Luis Rajmil

    (Independent Researcher, Homer 22, 1rst 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Imti Choonara

    (School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, UK)

  • Nicholas Spencer

    (Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 9JD, UK)

Abstract

There is growing evidence on the observed and expected consequences of climate change on population health worldwide. There is limited understanding of its consequences for child health inequalities, between and within countries. To examine these consequences and categorize the state of knowledge in this area, we conducted a review of reviews indexed in five databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts). Reviews that reported the effect of climate change on child health inequalities between low- and high-income children, within or between countries (high- vs low–middle-income countries; HICs and LMICs), were included. Twenty-three reviews, published between 2007 and January 2021, were included for full-text analyses. Using thematic synthesis, we identified strong descriptive, but limited quantitative, evidence that climate change exacerbates child health inequalities. Explanatory mechanisms relating climate change to child health inequalities were proposed in some reviews; for example, children in LMICs are more susceptible to the consequences of climate change than children in HICs due to limited structural and economic resources. Geographic and intergenerational inequalities emerged as additional themes from the review. Further research with an equity focus should address the effects of climate change on adolescents/youth, mental health and inequalities within countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuelle Arpin & Karl Gauffin & Meghan Kerr & Anders Hjern & Angela Mashford-Pringle & Aluisio Barros & Luis Rajmil & Imti Choonara & Nicholas Spencer, 2021. "Climate Change and Child Health Inequality: A Review of Reviews," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:20:p:10896-:d:658438
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10896/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10896/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lukoye Atwoli & Abdullah H Baqui & Thomas Benfield & Raffaella Bosurgi & Fiona Godlee & Stephen Hancocks & Richard Horton & Laurie Laybourn-Langton & Carlos Augusto Monteiro & Ian Norman & Kirsten Pat, 2021. "Call for emergency action to limit global temperature increases, restore biodiversity, and protect health," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(9), pages 1-4, September.
    2. Christina M Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Food Insecurity and Hunger in Rich Countries—It Is Time for Action against Inequality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-13, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva, 2023. "The risk of abuse of environmental sustainable developmental goals (SDGs) by academia and publishers for cheap reputational gains," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(5), pages 1-5, June.
    2. Altsitsiadis, E. & Kaiser, M. & Tsakas, A. & Kyriakidis, A. & Stamos, A., 2024. "Investigating the Regional and Individual Drivers of the Support for Renewable Energy Transition: The Role of Severe Material Deprivation," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2419, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    3. Zoë Bell & Steph Scott & Shelina Visram & Judith Rankin & Clare Bambra & Nicola Heslehurst, 2023. "Children’s nutritional health and wellbeing in food insecure households in Europe: A qualitative meta-ethnography," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(9), pages 1-26, September.
    4. Ramon Farré & Miguel A. Rodríguez-Lázaro & Anh Tuan Dinh-Xuan & Martí Pons-Odena & Daniel Navajas & David Gozal, 2021. "A Low-Cost, Easy-to-Assemble Device to Prevent Infant Hyperthermia under Conditions of High Thermal Stress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-12, December.
    5. Christina Zorbas & Jennifer Browne & Alexandra Chung & Anna Peeters & Sue Booth & Christina Pollard & Steven Allender & Anna Isaacs & Corinna Hawkes & Kathryn Backholer, 2023. "Shifting the social determinants of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Australian experience," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 151-170, February.
    6. Hales, Jan & Kemper, Joya & White, Samantha K. & Veer, Ekant, 2024. "Reflections on food policy in the context of healthy and sustainable diets," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    7. Modan Goldman & Aditya Vaidyam & Sindhu Parupalli & Holly Rosencranz & Davendra Ramkumar & Japhia Ramkumar, 2024. "Food Systems and Planetary Health Nexus Elective: A Novel Approach to A Medical Education Imperative for the 21st Century," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, January.
    8. Danielle E Buttke & Brinkley Raynor & Gregor W Schuurman, 2023. "Predicting climate-change induced heat-related illness risk in Grand Canyon National Park visitors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(8), pages 1-14, August.
    9. Kevin M. Fitzpatrick & Don E. Willis & Matthew L. Spialek & Emily English, 2020. "Food Insecurity in the Post-Hurricane Harvey Setting: Risks and Resources in the Midst of Uncertainty," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-16, November.
    10. Suraj Shrestha & Tek Maraseni & Armando Apan, 2025. "Enhancing Food Security Through Home Gardening: A Case Study in Phoukhoud District, Lao PDR," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, March.
    11. Aldona Zawojska & Tomasz Siudek, 2025. "The Role of Domestic Formal and Informal Institutions in Food Security: Research on the European Union Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-26, March.
    12. Irem Sengul Orgut & Emmett J. Lodree, 2023. "Equitable distribution of perishable items in a food bank supply chain," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(10), pages 3002-3021, October.
    13. Michelle McLean & Georgia Behrens & Hannah Chase & Omnia El Omrani & Finola Hackett & Karly Hampshire & Nuzhat Islam & Sarah Hsu & Natasha Sood, 2022. "The Medical Education Planetary Health Journey: Advancing the Agenda in the Health Professions Requires Eco-Ethical Leadership and Inclusive Collaboration," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Or, Zeynep & Seppänen, Anna-Veera, 2024. "The role of the health sector in tackling climate change: A narrative review," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    15. Audrey de Nazelle & Charlotte J. Roscoe & Aina Roca-Barcelό & Giselle Sebag & Gudrun Weinmayr & Carlos Dora & Kristie L. Ebi & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen & Maya Negev, 2021. "Urban Climate Policy and Action through a Health Lens—An Untapped Opportunity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-9, November.
    16. Konrad Żukiewicz & Agnieszka Dudziak & Tomasz Słowik & Jacek Mazur & Patrycja Łusiak, 2022. "Analysis of the Problem of Waste in Relation to Food Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-20, September.
    17. Jan Petzold & Lukas Mose, 2023. "Urban Greening as a Response to Climate-Related Heat Risk: A Social–Geographical Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, March.
    18. Robert Becker Pickson & Elliot Boateng & Peng Gui & Ai Chen, 2024. "The impacts of climatic conditions on cereal production: implications for food security in Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 18333-18360, July.
    19. William N. Rom, 2023. "Annals of Education: Teaching Climate Change and Global Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Kate Sargent & James Mollard & Sian F. Henley & Massimo A. Bollasina, 2022. "Predicting Transmission Suitability of Mosquito-Borne Diseases under Climate Change to Underpin Decision Making," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:20:p:10896-:d:658438. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.