Facilitators and Barriers for Keeping Cool in an Urban Heat Island: Perspectives from Residents of an Environmental Justice Community.

Background: Extreme heat is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality during summer months in the United States. Risk of heat exposure and associated health outcomes are disproportionately experienced by people with lower incomes, people of color, and/or immigrant populations.

Methods: As qualitative research on the experiences of residents in heat islands is limited, this community-based study examined barriers and coping strategies for keeping cool among residents of Chelsea and East Boston, Massachusetts-environmental justice (EJ) areas that experience the urban heat island effect-through semistructured interviews and qualitative content analysis.

Results: Results indicate that all participants (n = 12) had air conditioning, but high energy bills contributed to low use. Eight participants were self-described heat-sensitive, with five experiencing poor health in heat. In addition, nine reported insufficient hydration due to work schedules, distaste of water, or perceptions of it being unsafe.

Discussion: This research highlights the importance of understanding perceptions of residents in EJ communities to contextualize vulnerability and identify multipronged heat coping strategies and targeted interventions.