Sociodemographic Inequalities in Heat-Related Mortality across Summer Seasons from 2022 to 2024 in Peru

AimTo assess sociodemographic inequalities in Heat-Related Mortality (HRM) across Peruvian departments during the summer seasons from 2022 to 2024. MethodsAn ecological study was conducted to analyze excess mortality during the summers of 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 in relation to maximum temperature records across 24 Peruvian departments. Sociodemographic factors, including sex, age group (<60 years or[&ge;] 60 years), and educational level (elementary or lower vs. higher education), were considered. HRM was estimated for the overall population and stratified by sociodemographic characteristics using Poisson regression models. Inequality in HRM was quantified using the GINI index, where values near 1 indicate absolute inequality, while values closer to 0 suggest greater equality. ResultsA total of 70,832 deaths were analyzed, with 35,268 occurring in the summer of 2022-2023 and 35,564 in 2023-2024. The mean HRM was 29.24%, ranging from 2.26% to 166.67% across 10 departments. Higher HRM values were observed among females (HRM=51.90%), individuals <60 years (HRM=68.63%), and those with higher educational attainment (HRM=62.20%). The overall GINI index for HRM was 0.64, with greater inequality observed among females (GINI=0.38), individuals <60 years (GINI=0.51), and those with higher education levels (GINI=0.47). ConclusionSignificant sociodemographic inequalities in HRM were observed across Peruvian departments during the summer seasons from 2022 to 2024. The highest inequalities were found among females, individuals <60 years, and those with higher educational attainment.