Study Reveals Young Adults Face Higher Risk of Heat-Related Deaths in Mexico

Research challenges assumptions about heat vulnerability, showing those aged 18-35 account for 75% of heat-related fatalities in a warming climate.

A study analyzing Mexican mortality data from 1998 to 2019 found that young adults aged 18-35 are disproportionately affected by heat-related deaths, accounting for 75% of such fatalities.
The research attributes this trend to factors like outdoor labor, limited access to air conditioning, and risky behaviors such as sports in extreme heat.
Children under 5, especially infants, were also highly vulnerable due to physiological factors, while people aged 50-70 were least affected by heat but more vulnerable to cold-related deaths.
The study used wet-bulb temperatures, which combine heat and humidity, to identify how heat stress impacts different age groups, with younger adults showing a lower threshold for heat resilience.
Researchers warn that as climate change intensifies, heat-related deaths will likely increase globally, with younger populations in warmer, poorer countries at even greater risk.