How Systemic Barriers Can Impact Health Inequities When Facing Climate Change Stressors: A Scoping Review of Global Differences

Abstract

The objective of this scoping review is to explore the systemic barriers that impact health inequities among vulnerable populations (e.g., racial/ethnic and gender groups, people with disabilities, refugees, immigrants, elders, young children, agricultural and fishery workers, and low-income individuals) when facing climate change stressors. We conducted an extensive review using nine search engines, which yielded 21 publications that focused on the health outcomes and barriers on the topic of climate change among vulnerable populations. Our findings indicated that poverty is the largest challenge preventing people from adequate health access and achieving positive outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations globally. In addition, institutional and systemic barriers also differ based on regional differences, which suggests that health inequities are context dependent. Our scoping review has implications for (a) enhancing the effectiveness of climate change mitigation strategies and (b) addressing the healthcare barriers of vulnerable populations based on country-specific challenges.