Health equity impacts of climate change in the UK: a rapid systematic review and interactive evidence gap map

Objective To assess and summarise the evidence on the health equity impacts of climate change in the UK. Methods We conducted a rapid systematic review (search: February 2024) of primary studies reporting on the health impacts of climate change exposure pathways (hazards; health risks; solutions and responses) for populations at-risk of experiencing health inequalities, identified using the Core20PLUS framework (people experiencing the greatest deprivation; people from protected characteristics groups related to ethnicity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, and religion or belief; people from inclusion health groups). Results Of the 20,014 records identified, 24 were included. Of these, 20 reported on people experiencing the greatest deprivation, with some evidence that increase in ambient temperature, extreme cold, and extreme heat had similar impacts on mortality in the most and least deprived areas. No conclusions could be drawn for this population group for other outcomes or exposures due to the limited number of studies identified and their methodological quality. In people experiencing homelessness, 2 studies reported that increase in ambient temperature was associated with adverse health impacts but the disproportionate impact on this population group was not assessed. No conclusions could be drawn for ethnic minority groups or people with drug and/or alcohol dependence due to the limited evidence identified. No studies were identified for the remaining population groups. Conclusions We identified important evidence gaps and methodological limitations of the existing evidence on the health equity impacts of climate change the UK that should be used to inform future research in this area.