The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring

Farmers in tropical countries have been impacted by slow-onset heat stress. By comparing the nature of farming activities performed by conventional farmworkers and agroecological farmers, this study examined the changes in physiological health in responses to heat exposure through a six-month longit...

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Main Authors: How, Vivien, Singh, Shyamli, Dang, Thinh, Lim, Fang Lee, How, Ran Guo
Format: Article
Published: Taylor and Francis 2022
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103536/
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author How, Vivien
Singh, Shyamli
Dang, Thinh
Lim, Fang Lee
How, Ran Guo
author_facet How, Vivien
Singh, Shyamli
Dang, Thinh
Lim, Fang Lee
How, Ran Guo
author_sort How, Vivien
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Farmers in tropical countries have been impacted by slow-onset heat stress. By comparing the nature of farming activities performed by conventional farmworkers and agroecological farmers, this study examined the changes in physiological health in responses to heat exposure through a six-month longitudinal study. Throughout the six-month follow-up period, the heat stress index (HSI), physiological strain indices (PSI), and physiological health parameters (BMI, blood glucose level, blood cholesterol level, uric acid level) were measured and repeated every two-month. Physiological parameters were recorded twice daily, before and during their first lunch break. This study found that slow-onset heat stress affects farmers differently. The health of agroecological farmers is more resistant to slow-onset extreme temperatures. Pre-existing metabolic health effects from pesticide exposure make conventional farmers more susceptible to extreme temperatures, delaying their bodies’ adaptation to rising temperatures.
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institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-15T13:42:32Z
publishDate 2022
publisher Taylor and Francis
recordtype eprints
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spelling upm-1035362023-05-22T07:28:05Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103536/ The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring How, Vivien Singh, Shyamli Dang, Thinh Lim, Fang Lee How, Ran Guo Farmers in tropical countries have been impacted by slow-onset heat stress. By comparing the nature of farming activities performed by conventional farmworkers and agroecological farmers, this study examined the changes in physiological health in responses to heat exposure through a six-month longitudinal study. Throughout the six-month follow-up period, the heat stress index (HSI), physiological strain indices (PSI), and physiological health parameters (BMI, blood glucose level, blood cholesterol level, uric acid level) were measured and repeated every two-month. Physiological parameters were recorded twice daily, before and during their first lunch break. This study found that slow-onset heat stress affects farmers differently. The health of agroecological farmers is more resistant to slow-onset extreme temperatures. Pre-existing metabolic health effects from pesticide exposure make conventional farmers more susceptible to extreme temperatures, delaying their bodies’ adaptation to rising temperatures. Taylor and Francis 2022 Article PeerReviewed How, Vivien and Singh, Shyamli and Dang, Thinh and Lim, Fang Lee and How, Ran Guo (2022) The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 33 (4). pp. 1-6. ISSN 0960-3123; ESSN: 1369-1619 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09603123.2022.2033706?journalCode=cije20 10.1080/09603123.2022.2033706
spellingShingle How, Vivien
Singh, Shyamli
Dang, Thinh
Lim, Fang Lee
How, Ran Guo
The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring
title The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring
title_full The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring
title_fullStr The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring
title_full_unstemmed The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring
title_short The effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in Malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring
title_sort effects of heat exposure on tropical farm workers in malaysia: six-month physiological health monitoring
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103536/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103536/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/103536/