A first approach to human biometeorology research in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

This systematic review aims to give an overview of the diversity of research areas related to human biometeorology in Brazil. The main focus of this paper addresses research trends, represented by published papers with national and international authorship, main contributions and shortcomings, as well as challenges and prospects of research in this area of study. An extensive literature search was conducted in the Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct databases so as to identify relevant publication output up to July 2021 related to the research area. The screening resulted in 96 studies chosen for full-text reading. Overall, results indicated a reduced amount of articles on the subject matter published internationally, with noticeable gaps in research in some regions of the country, such as the Amazon region and in the Brazilian Midwest region. Research gaps in relevant areas have been identified with limited output in the climate dimensions of tourism, vector-borne diseases, mortality and morbidity in urban centers. Such gaps should further encourage researchers to engage in research focused on those areas.

Insights from the first Brazilian Symposium on Human Biometeorology

“…The symposium was organized by a research collaboration on human biometeorology started in 2021 in the country by a group of Brazilian researchers that culminated in a joint systematic review (Krüger et al, 2022).…”

“…More importantly, the first Brazilian Symposium on Human Biometeorology aimed to promote human biometeorology research conducted in the country and to identify knowledge gaps reported in a comprehensive systematic literature review (Krüger et al, 2022).…”

“…Brazil can thus be considered a "climate-health hotspot", i.e., a country where the climate affects local populations negatively through multiple pathways (Di Napoli et al, 2022). Existing deficiencies demand feasible solutions in the short-and mid-terms, and knowledge gaps need to be filled by looking at the climate dimensions of tourism, vector-borne diseases, mortality, and morbidity, particularly in Brazilian urban centers, as current urbanization trends in the country show a high proportion, with over 80% of Brazilians living in cities (Krüger et al, 2022;IBGE, 2023). The first Brazilian Symposium on Human Biometeorology (Simpósio Brasileiro de Biometeorologia Humana 2022) was organized and held at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) in Natal, northeastern Brazil, between July 4 and 8, 2022, with the main goal of showcasing existing problems in the research area, and proposing solutions along with a work frame in the near future for human biometeorology research.…”

Climate and human health: a review of publication trends in the International Journal of Biometeorology

“…The role of climate on health has been known for millennia, yet the deliberate study of the aetiology and statistical analysis have been more recent, and a key component of biometeorology, since the inception of the society and the first issue of the journal (Tromp 1956 ). Increased incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular disease (CDC 2022 ), injuries and early deaths from extreme weather events (CDC 2022 ), changes in the prevalence and geographic distribution of food- and water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health are some of the health effects that are worsened by a change in climate (CDC 2022 ; Krüger et al 2022 ). Changes in climate and climatic variability, particularly changes in the frequency, intensity, and distribution of weather extremes, affect the environment that provides us with clean air, food, water, shelter, and security (Wu et al 2016 ; Wang et al 2017 ).…”

Investigating the Relationship between Climate and Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Diseases before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

“…A recent systematic review conducted on studies published in the last decades in Brazil in human biometeorology identified gaps in knowledge [18] that should be filled. The systematic review was based on an extensive literature search in Scopus, Web of Science and Science Direct from the late 1990s until July 2021.…”