Sociocultural and indigenous practices of rural India in adapting to heat stress: an exploratory descriptive qualitative study
The findings highlight the diverse range of sociocultural practices and health-seeking behaviours by people in rural areas of Rajasthan to cope with extreme heat. Incorporating indigenous knowledge and traditional practices into public health initiatives, after adequate validation, is essential for enhancing heat resilience and mitigating heat-related health risks in the region. Future research and interventions should consider context-specific approaches to heat adaptation, acknowledging the importance of local traditions and practices in promoting community health and well-being.
Authors
- Rehana Vanaja Radhakrishnan
- Pritish Baskaran
- S. Shanmugasundaram (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3953-0247)
- Anil K. Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4382-4531)
- Pankaja Raghav
Institutions
- Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IN)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur (IN)
- Indian Council of Medical Research (IN)
- National Institute of Epidemiology (IN)
- Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital (IN)
- ICAR - Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Health
- Published
- 2025-12-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihaf153
- Primary Topic
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene