High Heat and Human Health: A Scoping Review on Occupational Heat and Kidney Function in Restaurant Workers

Background: Heat exposure is rapidly becoming one of the most pressing health issues of the 21st century. Much work to date has focused on the impact of high heat conditions on outdoor workers but not focused on indoor workers who may be exposed to high heat conditions, such as restaurant workers. Restaurant workers are frequently exposed to high heat conditions at work due to increasing environmental temperatures and occupational factors. Of particular concern to heat exposed workers are the impact of occupational heat exposure on the kidneys, which has shown to cause acute kidney injury simply from working in the heat. Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review is to identify what studies have been completed investigating the impact of heat exposure on kidney functioning in restaurant workers. Methods: We followed Arksey and O’Malley’s 5-step framework for conducting scoping reviews. Searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science. Results: Of the 287 studies identified, 246 were screened at the title and abstract level and four full texts were screened. Ultimately, 2 journal articles and 1 conference proceeding were included in this review. All three studies were conducted internationally, with two collecting data primarily in the winter or spring. None of the studies utilized similar protocols for measuring heat strain nor kidney function. Application to Practice: Findings underscore the urgent need for occupational health professionals to implement standardized heat monitoring and hydration protocols in restaurant settings and advocate for policies extending indoor heat protections to food service workers.