The associations of heat exposure and energy insecurity with maternal mental health, child health, and developmental risk in two U.S. cities

Source abstract

U.S. cities are grappling with increasing housing and electricity costs while confronting climate change-related rising temperatures. In economically constrained households, home cooling access disparities may exacerbate adverse maternal and child health outcomes. Our research examined relationships between heat exposure, energy insecurity, and maternal and child health in two U.S. cities—Boston, Massachusetts, and Little Rock, Arkansas—using data from the 2009–2019 (n = 3,655) cohort subset of Children’s HealthWatch, an ongoing survey of low-income mothers of young children (<4 years). We examined associations of maternal depressive symptoms and child health with May–August maximum daily temperatures, within two weeks of the survey. We further assessed energy insecurity’s role. Secondary analyses examined heat index and an additional outcome, child developmental risk. In Boston, high temperatures within two weeks before mothers were interviewed had significant associations with maternal depressive symptoms. In Little Rock, there was no association except when stratified by energy security. In Boston, prior week heat was associated with fair/poor child health only for those with a cost-related uncooled day. We argue deliberate attention to compounding adverse maternal and child health impacts of heat exposure and energy insecurity should inform multilevel policy solutions bridging climate resilience, housing quality, energy access, affordability, and material hardships.