A Study on the Risk of Heat Stroke and Its Environmental Factors in Elementary School Children's Routes to School

Abstract

In recent years, the number of emergency transports of children due to heatstroke has shown an increasing trend. In particular, reducing the risk of heatstroke during commuting requires a thorough understanding of children's commuting conditions and environments; however, these have not been fully clarified. This study analyzed the relationship between heatstroke risk and environmental factors along school routes, based on a nationwide questionnaire survey of 8,700 parents of elementary school students. The analysis examined commuting time, mode of transportation, and after-school commuting conditions, in addition to surrounding environmental factors such as sidewalk infrastructure, traffic conditions, and crime prevention. The results revealed that these factors were significantly associated with children's heatstroke experiences. Notably, in areas where evaluations of "safety from crime" were lower, the proportion of children with heatstroke experiences was higher. These findings underscore the importance of considering commuting conditions and environments in the implementation of heatstroke prevention measures along school routes.