About the Journal
In Memory of Professor Jerzy Radecki
Ownership and Management Statement
Editorial Office
Editorial Board
Scope
Impact Factor
Indexed by
Journal Impact Factor contributing items
Publication Frequency
Revenue Sources & Business Model
Contact
Subscription
Current issue
Online first
Instructions for Authors
Copyright & Licensing
Publication Fees
Editorial policies
Publication Policy Overview
Peer Review Policy
Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Open Access Policy
Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Advertising Policy
Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation
Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy
CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy
Archive
Publication Fees
Copyright & Licensing
Editorial policies
Publication Policy Overview
Peer Review Policy
Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Open Access Policy
Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Advertising Policy
Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation
Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy
CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy
eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Health Impacts and Risk Perception of Extreme
Temperatures in Northwest China:
A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study
1
College of Humanities, Law and Foreign Languages, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, PR China
2
Research Center for Development, Health Commission of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan 030013, PR China
3
School of Management, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
4
Research Center for Emergency Management, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
5
Hospital Management Research Center, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, PR China
Submission date: 2025-04-30
Final revision date: 2025-07-21
Acceptance date: 2025-08-31
Online publication date: 2025-12-01
Corresponding author
Bin Wang
College of Humanities, Law and Foreign Languages, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, PR China
College of Humanities, Law and Foreign Languages, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, PR China
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Northwest China is experiencing escalating extreme temperature events, yet public awareness
of their health risks remains suboptimal. This study conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,000 urban
and rural residents in Tianshui and Zhangye, Northwest China (January-March 2021), utilizing
a three-stage sampling methodology and standardized questionnaires to evaluate health impacts
and risk perceptions. Results revealed a significant disconnect between observed health effects
and risk awareness. While extreme temperatures resulted in widespread health impacts – 97.5%
reported discomfort, 20.4% sought outpatient care, and 8.3% required hospitalization – the average
risk perception score was notably low (2.60/5.0). All perception dimensions scored below the neutral
point (Concern: 2.98; Knowledge: 2.52; Fear: 2.33; Severity: 2.67; Controllability: 2.48), underscoring
a “high impact, low perception” paradox. Rural residents demonstrated lower risk awareness than urban
populations despite similar health impacts. Moreover, vulnerable groups (individuals aged ≥65, or with
chronic illnesses) showed higher perception levels than younger, healthier individuals. These findings
highlight an urgent imperative for improved risk communication strategies in Northwest China.
The substantial health burden of extreme temperatures, coupled with insufficient public risk awareness,
necessitates targeted policy interventions and community-based education programs to enhance climate
adaptation.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
REFERENCES (33)
1.
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION WMO report documents spiralling weather and climate impacts. Available online: https://wmo.int/news/media-cen... (accessed on 22 June 2025). 2025.
2.
EBI K.L., OGDEN N.H., SEMENZA J.C., WOODWARD A. Detecting and Attributing Health Burdens to Climate Change. Environmental Health Perspectives. 125 (8), 085004, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP150....
3.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION Climate change. Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/... (accessed on 23 June 2025). 2025.
4.
WANG C., ZHAO L. Overview of Climate Change in China. Springer, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-98....
5.
CHINA METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION CLIMATE CHANGE CENTER Blue Book on Climate Change in China 2023. Science China Press Ltd, Beijing, 2023.
6.
CAI W., ZHANG C., ZHANG S., BAI Y., CALLAGHAN M., CHANG N., CHEN B., CHEN H., CHENG L., DAI H., FAN W., GUAN D., HU Y., HU Y., HUA J., HUANG C., HUANG H., HUANG J., HUANG X., JI J.S., JIANG Q., JIANG X., KIESEWETTER G., LI T., LI B., LIANG L., LIN B., LIN H., LIU H., LIU Q., LIU Z., LIU Z., LIU Y., LOU S., LU B., LU C., LUO Z., MI Z., MIAO Y., REN C., ROMANELLO M., SHEN J., SU J., SU R., SUN Y., SUN X., WALAWENDER M., WANG C., WANG Q., WANG Q., WARNECKE L., WEI W., WEI X., WEN S., XIE Y., XIONG H., XU B., YANG X., YANG Y., YAO F., YU L., YU W., YUAN J., ZENG Y., ZHANG J., ZHANG R., ZHANG S., ZHANG S., ZHAO M., ZHAO Q., ZHAO Q., ZHENG D., ZHOU H., ZHOU J., ZHOU Z., LUO Y., GONG P. The 2024 China report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: launching a new low-carbon, healthy journey. The Lancet Public Health. 9 (12), e1070, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-....
7.
MAIBACH E.W., KRESLAKE J.M., ROSER-RENOUF C., ROSENTHAL S., FEINBERG G., LEISEROWITZ A.A. Do Americans Understand That Global Warming Is Harmful to Human Health? Evidence From a National Survey. Annals Global Health. 81 (3), 396, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aogh....
8.
ABRAHAM C., SHEERAN P. The health belief model. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007.
9.
ZHANG H., SUN M., YAO X., XIE Z., ZHANG M. Increasing probability of record-population exposure to high temperature and related health-risks in China. Environmental Research. 231, 116176, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envr....
10.
HU J., HE G., MENG R., GONG W., REN Z., SHI H., LIN Z., LIU T., ZENG F., YIN P., BAI G., QIN M., HOU Z., DONG X., ZHOU C., PINGCUO Z., XIAO Y., YU M., HUANG B., XU X., LIN L., XIAO J., ZHONG J., JIN D., ZHAO Q., LI Y., GAMA C., XU Y., LV L., ZENG W., LI X., LUO L., ZHOU M., HUANG C., MA W. Temperature-related mortality in China from specific injury. Nature Communications. 14 (1), 37, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467....
11.
WANG B., CHAI G., SHA Y., SU Y. Association between ambient temperature and cardiovascular disease hospitalisations among farmers in suburban northwest China. International Journal of Biometeorology. 66 (7), 1317, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484....
12.
WANG B., CHAI G., SHA Y., ZHA Q., SU Y., GAO Y. Impact of ambient temperature on cardiovascular disease hospital admissions in farmers in China's Western suburbs. Science of The Total Environment. 761, 143254, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scit....
13.
ROSER-RENOUF C., MAIBACH E.W., LEISEROWITZ A., ZHAO X. The genesis of climate change activism: from key beliefs to political action. Climatic Change. 125 (2), 163, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584....
14.
OFFICE OF THE LEADING GROUP OF THE STATE COUNCIL FOR THE SEVENTH NATIONAL POPULATION CENSUS Figures on 2020 Population Census of China. China Statistics Press, Beijing, 2021.
15.
GANSU PROVINCIAL HEALTH STATISTICS AND INFORMATION CENTER 2024 Statistical Bulletin on the Development of Health and Wellness in Gansu Province. Available online: https://wsjk.gansu.gov.cn/wsjk... (accessed on 22 June 2025). 2024.
16.
SLOVIC P. Perception of Risk. Science. 236 (4799), 280, 1987. https://doi.org/10.1126/scienc....
17.
WACHINGER G., RENN O., BEGG C., KUHLICKE C. The Risk Perception Paradox: Implications for Governance and Communication of Natural Hazards. Risk Analysis. 33 (6), 1049, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539....
18.
SLOVIC P., PETERS E. Risk Perception and Affect. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 15 (6), 322, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467....
19.
SHI W., BAN J., DU Z., WANG Q., LIU X., JIANG C., HAN L., WANG R., CUI L. Public risk perception on heat wave and influencing factors in Jinan City. Journal of Shandong University (Health Sciences). 57 (1), 107, 2019.
20.
HUANG L., YANG Q., LI J., CHEN J., HE R., ZHANG C., CHEN K., DONG S.G., LIU Y. Risk perception of heat waves and its spatial variation in Nanjing, China. International Journal of Biometeorology. 62 (5), 783, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484....
21.
BAN J., LAN L., YANG C., WANG J., CHEN C., HUANG G., LI T. Public Perception of Extreme Cold Weather-Related Health Risk in a Cold Area of Northeast China. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 11 (4), 417, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.20....
22.
NATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF THE PRC Report on Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020). Available online: https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2020... (accessed on 22 June 2024). 2020.
23.
EBI K.L., CAPON A., BERRY P., BRODERICK C., DE DEAR R., HAVENITH G., HONDA Y., KOVATS R.S., MA W., MALIK A., MORRIS N.B., NYBO L., SENEVIRATNE S.I., VANOS J., JAY O. Hot weather and heat extremes: health risks. The Lancet. 398 (10301), 698, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-....
24.
SELTENRICH N. Between Extremes: Health Effects of Heat and Cold. Environ Health Perspect. 123 (11), A275, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.12....
25.
CHENG P., WEI J., GE Y. Who should be blamed? The attribution of responsibility for a city smog event in China. Natural Hazards. 85 (2), 669, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069....
26.
RENN O. Risk Governance: Coping with Uncertainty in a Complex World. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-....
27.
LI H., GUAN J., YE H., YANG H. A Survey of Rural Residents' Perception and Response to Health Risks from Hot Weather in Ethnic Minority Areas in Southwest China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16 (12), 2190, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph....
28.
YANG J., GOUNARIDIS D., LIU M., BI J., NEWELL J.P. Perceptions of Climate Change in China: Evidence From Surveys of Residents in Six Cities. Earth's Future. 9 (12), e2021EF002144, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF....
29.
FLEMING W., HAYES A.L., CROSMAN K.M., BOSTROM A. Indiscriminate, Irrelevant, and Sometimes Wrong: Causal Misconceptions about Climate Change. Risk Analysis. 41 (1), 157, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.1....
30.
LEVISTON Z., PRICE J., BISHOP B. Imagining climate change: The role of implicit associations and affective psychological distancing in climate change responses. European Journal of Social Psychology. 44 (5), 441, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2....
31.
BAN J., SHI W., CUI L., LIU X., JIANG C., HAN L., WANG R., LI T. Health-risk perception and its mediating effect on protective behavioral adaptation to heat waves. Environmental Research. 172, 27, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envr....
32.
SCHOESSOW F.S., LI Y., MARLON J.R., LEISEROWITZ A., HOWE P.D. Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Heatwave Risk Perception in the United States. Weather, Climate, and Society. 14 (4), 1119, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D....
33.
U.S. EPA, CDC Climate change and extreme heat: what you can do to prepare. Washington, DC, 2016.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
