Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Ambinakudige, Shrinidhi

Committee Member

Winata, Fikriyah

Committee Member

Sherman-Morris, Kathleen

Date of Degree

8-7-2025

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 1 year

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Campus Access Only

Major

Geosciences (Geospatial Science)

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Geosciences

Abstract

Heat Mortality Rates (HMR) in Arizona (AZ) are one of the highest in all of US. The HMR association with environmental, socioeconomic, demographic, and occupational factors has been widely investigated to inform mitigative policy. This study employed linear and spatial models- Ordinary Least Square (OLS), Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR), across AZ at Primary Care Area (PCAr) level to identify important spatial trends in HMR relationship. Results indicated a significant global association between heat mortality and environmental variables and the elderly population aged 65 and older. In contrast, the working age group between 54 and 65 years showed locally significant relationships concentrated in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Additionally, lower levels of education showed a significant positive association with heat mortality, with effects concentrated in specific regions. These findings emphasize the importance of considering spatial variation and population characteristics when addressing heat-related mortality.

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