Occupational Heat Stress in Agricultural Workers: A Systematic Review of Physiological, Psychological, and Socioeconomic Impacts Informing Agronursing Practice
Keywords:
agronursing, occupational heat stress, agricultural workers, heat-related illness, climate change adaptationAbstract
Climate change intensifies extreme heat, disproportionately threatening agricultural workers. The multifaceted impacts of occupational heat stress across physiological, psychological, and socioeconomic domains remain fragmented in current literature. This systematic review synthesizes recent empirical evidence on the impacts of heat stress on global farming populations to inform evidence-based agronursing interventions. A systematic search was conducted across Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest for studies published in the last three years, adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Methodological quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Synthesis revealed that extreme heat induces severe physiological strain, notably acute kidney injury, electrolyte depletion, and high prevalence of heat-related symptoms. Psychologically, chronic heat exposure significantly elevates anxiety, depression, and climate-related distress, often exacerbated by restrictive immigration policies. Behaviorally, spontaneous adaptations like self-pacing are insufficient and disproportionately burden female workers. Macroeconomically, declines in heat-induced labor capacity threaten national GDP and exacerbate household welfare disparities in arid regions. Occupational heat stress precipitates cascading health and economic crises among agricultural workers. Agronursing frameworks must urgently integrate continuous physiological monitoring, routine mental health screenings, and gender-responsive occupational policies. Interdisciplinary collaborations are essential for developing localized early warning systems and enforcing stringent thermal risk regulations to safeguard worker well-being and global food security.
Downloads
References
Abasilim, C., Friedman, L. S., Martin, M. C., Madigan, D., Perez, J., Morera, M., Tovar, A., Roka, F., Xiuhtecutli, N., Forst, L., & Monaghan, P. (2024). Risk factors associated with indicators of dehydration among migrant farmworkers. Environmental Research, 251, 118633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.118633
Amoadu, M., Ansah, E. W., Sarfo, J. O., & Hormenu, T. (2023). Impact of climate change and heat stress on workers' health and productivity: A scoping review. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 12, 100249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2023.100249
Barteit, S., Ouédraogo, W. A., Müller, C., Zabré, P., Traoré, I., Boudo, V., Sié, A., Compaoré, G., Ouèrmi, L., Munga, S., Obor, D., Bunker, A., Gunga, H.-C., Belesova, K., Bärnighausen, T., Franke, J., Schwarz, M., Maggioni, M. A., & Sauerborn, R. (2025). Assessing heat exposure and its effects on farmer health, harvest yields, and nutrition: A study protocol for Burkina Faso and Kenya. Global Health Action, 18, Article 2513719. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2025.2513719
Castellano, A. D., Puentes, R., Ruiz, E., Rodriguez, I. Y., Hertzberg, V. S., McCauley, L. A., & Chicas, R. C. (2026). Heat-related illness symptoms and mental health in Florida farmworkers. Frontiers in Public Health, 14, Article 1797619. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1797619
Cemeli, T., Tort-Nasarre, G., Roca, J., Lavedán-Santamaría, A., Campoy, C., Selva-Pareja, L., Vilaplana, J., Mateo, J., & Espart, A. (2026). Electrolyte imbalance and indirect indicators of dehydration in temporary agricultural workers exposed to extreme heat in the Mediterranean: An observational study on environmental health risks. Healthcare, 14(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14010029
Chabba, M., & Bhat, M. G. (2025). Heat hurts: The influence of heat stress on subjective well-being of urban residents and farmworkers in Florida, USA. Environmental Challenges, 21, 101343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2025.101343
Chandra N, S. V. S., & Lee, J. K. W. (2025). A systematic review of heat health warning systems: Enhancing the framework towards effective health outcomes. Current Environmental Health Reports, 12, Article 31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-025-00496-5
Dasgupta, S., Robinson, E. J. Z., Shayegh, S., Bosello, F., Park, R. J., & Gosling, S. N. (2024). Heat stress and the labour force. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 5, 859–872. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00606-1
Eggert, E., Gunga, H. C., Sié, A., Ouermi, L., Ouédraogo, W. A., Kwaro, D., ... & Maggioni, M. A. (2025). Physical effort during labour and behavioural adaptations in response to heat stress among subsistence farmers in Burkina Faso: A gender-specific longitudinal observational study. The Lancet Planetary Health, 9(12), Article 101344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanplh.2025.101344
El Khayat, M., Halwani, D. A., Hneiny, L., Alameddine, I., Haidar, M. A., & Habib, R. R. (2022). Impacts of climate change and heat stress on farmworkers' health: A scoping review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 782811. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.782811
Ferro, A. M., Raggi, M., Viaggi, D., & Targetti, S. (2025). Impacts of heat waves on agricultural workers: An analysis of adaptation measures. Bio-based and Applied Economics, 14(3), 97–107. https://doi.org/10.36253/bae-16905
Houessou, M. A. K., Elnour, Z., Kong, Q., Grethe, H., & Huber, M. (2025). Heat stress causes economic and welfare disparities across agro-ecological zones in Burkina Faso. Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1), Article 744. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02650-1
Iglesias-Rios, L., O’Neill, M. S., & Handal, A. J. (2023). Climate change, heat, and farmworker health. Workplace Health & Safety, 71(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.1177/21650799221135581
Kurniyawan, E. H., Afandi, A. T., Nur, K. R. M., Kurniawan, D. E., Rahmawati, P. M., Emerson, I., Mukhtar, M., & Wulandari, R. A. (2026). Integrated agronursing strategies to mitigate occupational hazards among global agricultural workers. Health and Technology Journal (HTechJ), 4(3), 381–396. https://doi.org/10.53713/htechj.v4i3.724
Masuda, Y. J., Parsons, L. A., Spector, J. T., Battisti, D. S., Castro, B., Erbaugh, J. T., Game, E. T., Garg, T., Kalmus, P., Kroeger, T., Mishra, V., Shindell, D., Tigchelaar, M., Wolff, N. H., & Vargas Zeppetello, L. R. (2024). Impacts of warming on outdoor worker well-being in the tropics and adaptation options. One Earth, 7(3), 382–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.02.001
Nath, A., Sahu, S., & Lee, J. K. W. (2026). An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on occupational heat exposure, health risks, and productivity losses globally. Current Environmental Health Reports, 13, Article 2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-025-00520-8
Nemer, M., Mitwalli, S., & Basha, H. (2026). Occupational heat stress among female agricultural workers in the Jordan Valley, Palestine. Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 70(5), Article wxag048. https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxag048
Nyambe, A., Mwaanga, E. S., Mwiinde, A. M., & Michelo, C. (2025). Heat stress risk assessment of farmers working in a hot environment: What about in Zambia? The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 24, Article 100457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2025.100457
Parajuli, S. P., Biggs, T., Monteverde, C., Ciborowski, H., Lopez Galvez, N., Quintana, P. J. E., De Sales, F., Zavala Perez, M. A., Thompson, C., & Jones, C. (2026). High-resolution modeling of wet bulb globe temperature reveals substantial heat risks across crops and work shifts among agricultural workers in southern California. GeoHealth, 10, Article e2025GH001604. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GH001604
Roca, J., Sanromà-Ortiz, M., Cemeli, T., Tort-Nasarre, G., Lavedán Santamaría, A., Espart, A., Cantos-Puig, C., & Campoy, C. (2025). Health interventions for the prevention of dehydration in agricultural workers exposed to heat stress: A systematic review. Healthcare, 13(11), 1232. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111232
Sánchez-Vargas, A., Castillo, F., Wehner, M., Vanos, J. K., & López-Carr, D. (2025). The combined effect of extreme heat and COVID-19 on agricultural labor supply in California communities. PLOS Climate, 4(12), e0000770. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000770
Tang, W. S. W., & Ho, C. S. H. (2025). A systematic review on the impact of climate change on occupational mental health: A focus on vulnerable industries. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 60(10), 2275–2287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-025-02936-x
Tran, N. Q. L., Chu, C., Phung, H., Nghiem, S., Le, H. T. C. H., Tran, T.-H., & Phung, D. (2026). Heat exposure and agricultural workers' health: A global systematic review with implications for peri-urban and semi-urban Southeast Asia. Urban Climate, 65, 102811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2026.102811
Van Tongeren, M., Tantipanjaporn, T., Povey, A., Shiels, H. A., & Gittins, M. (2026). Occupational related heat stress exposure and heat-related symptoms among sugarcane workers in Thailand. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 99(1), Article 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-026-02216-4
Vandenberg, S., Strus, J. A., Chircop, A., Egert, A., & Savard, J. (2025). Planetary health in nursing: A scoping review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 81(12), 8080–8115. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16570
Yang, H.-Y., Jou, H.-Y., Wang, Y.-Y., Chang, C.-J., Lin, C.-Y., Chen, W.-C., Wang, Y.-H., Teng, P.-C., Chang, H.-Y., & Hung, C.-I. (2026). Heat stress and kidney injury in Taiwanese farmers: Associations with renal artery resistance and urinary acidification. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 88(3), 391–401. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2026.04.008
