Pregnant People's Weather Information and Heat-Health Practices in San Antonio, Texas.

Extreme heat has significant negative effects on human health, particularly on vulnerable populations. Communicating heat-health risks is challenging due to the varying vulnerabilities based on individuals’ characteristics. Pregnant people, for example, are especially at risk, as high temperatures can exacerbate the likelihood of adverse health outcomes. Over the approximately 40 weeks of pregnancy, the body undergoes significant changes, including altered thermoregulation, which increases susceptibility to heat stress. Exposure to extreme heat during pregnancy has been linked to serious complications such as preterm birth, low birth weight, cardiac birth defects, neural tube defects, stillbirth, and placental abruption. Despite these risks, there is limited understanding of how pregnant people engage with and use weather information during extreme heat events. This study examined pregnant people's perceptions of heat-health risks, and how they used this information to take protective health actions during extreme heat events. Conducted in San Antonio, Texas, the survey targeted pregnant people recruited through flyers at clinics, social service agencies and in-person events such as childbirth classes and community pregnancy information fairs. The surveys were available in English and Spanish and were completed online through Qualtrics or on paper. The results indicated that most respondents received their weather information in a single language, either Spanish or English, with approximately 10% accessing it in both languages. Nearly all respondents actively sought out weather information from a variety of sources, including television, radio, weather apps and websites. Approximately a third of respondents felt that they needed more weather information during their pregnancy. On hotter-than-usual summer days, over a quarter of respondents checked the weather more frequently than on typical days. More than half indicated a willingness to take protective measures, such as limiting outdoor activities, staying hydrated, and spending time in air-conditioned environments. The study's findings have important implications for improving heat-health risk communication strategies for at-risk populations.

This research was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Program Office, Grant number NA230AR4590368.