A Cross-Sectional, Randomized Cluster Sample Survey of Household Vulnerability to Extreme Heat among Slum Dwellers in Ahmedabad, India

A study conducted in Ahmedabad, India, identified key factors increasing vulnerability to extreme heat among slum dwellers, including age, preexisting medical conditions, work location, and access to health information. The research used a cross-sectional household survey with randomized multistage cluster sampling to assess heat exposure, susceptibility, and adaptive capacity during summer 2011. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between these factors and self-reported heat illness, suggesting targeted interventions—such as health education—could mitigate vulnerability in urban slum populations. The findings highlight the need for surveillance and evaluation of future public health strategies to address growing climate-related risks.

Tran, K., Azhar, G., Nair, R., Knowlton, K., Jaiswal, A., Sheffield, P., Mavalankar, D., & Hess, J. (2013). A Cross-Sectional, Randomized Cluster Sample Survey of Household Vulnerability to Extreme Heat among Slum Dwellers in Ahmedabad, India. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(6), 2515–2543. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10062515