MARICOPA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
DIVISION OF DISEASE CONTROL
OFFICE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DATA SERVICES
HEAT CAUSED AND HEAT RELATED DEATH OCURRENCES IN MARICOPA
COUNTY

August 12, 2008

Graph 1. Heat Caused and Related Deaths by Year, Maricopa County: 2001-2007
85

90
80
80

Number of Deaths

70
55
60
50
50
40

37

40
30
21
20
10
0
2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Year

Graph 2. Heat Caused and Related Deaths by Case Classification and Month, 2007

18
16

# of Deaths

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
May

June

July

August

September

Month
Heat Caused (n=35)

Heat Related (n=15)

Data Sources: Maricopa County, Offices of Vital Registration (Public Health) and of the Medical Examiner;
Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Vital Registration.

Classification Criteria
**Heat Caused (HC): Cases that mention heat or heat exposure in Part I of the death certificate
causes of death (diseases or conditions in the direct sequence causing death), for variables cod_a,
cod_b, cod_c, or cod_d. County of death: Maricopa.
**Heat Related (HR): Cases that mention heat exposure in Part II of the death certificate causes of
death (diseases and conditions contributing but not directly resulting in the death sequence), but not in
any of the Part I variables (cod_a, cod_b, cod_c, or cod_d). County of death: Maricopa.
Part I of the death certificate:
cod a – immediate cause (final disease or condition resulting in death)
cod b, od c, cod d – sequentially listed conditions if any leading to the cause listed on cod a.
Part II of the death certificate: Other significant conditions contributing to death but not resulting
in the underlying cause given in part I.

Table 1. Heat Caused and Related Deaths by Residency and Classification, Maricopa County, 2007

Classification

Residency

Heat Caused

Arizona
Resident

Non-Arizona
Resident*

Unknown

Total

23
4
0

0
5
0

0
0
3

23
9
3

27

5

3

35

Unknown

Total

Maricopa County Resident
Non-Maricopa County Resident**
Unknown

Heat Caused Total
Classification

Residency
Arizona
Non-Arizona
Resident
Resident*

Heat Related
Maricopa County Resident
Non-Maricopa County Resident**
Unknown

Heat Related Total

15
0
0

0
0
0

0
0
0

15
0
0

15

0

0

15

Classification

Residency

Heat Caused and Related

Arizona
Resident

Non-Arizona
Resident*

Unknown

Total

38
4
0

0
5
0

0
0
3

38
9
3

42

5

3

50

Maricopa County Resident
Non-Maricopa County Resident**
Unknown

Heat Caused and Related
Total

*Non-Arizona Residence include North Dakota, North Carolina, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico
**Non-Maricopa County Residence include: Pinal, Navajo, Yuma, and LaPaz

Number of Deaths

4/
29
5/ -5/
6 5
5/ -5 /1
13 2
5/ - 5/
20 19
5/ 5/2
27 6
-6
6/ /2
6/ 3-6
10 /9
6/ - 6/
17 16
6/ - 6/2
24 3
-6
7/ /30
1
7/ -7 /7
87/ 7 /1
15 4
7/ - 7/
22 21
7/ 7/2
29 8
8/ -8/
5 4
8/ -8 /1
12 1
8/ - 8/
19 18
8/ 8/2
26 5
-9
9/ /1
29/ 9 /8
9
9/ -9 /1
16 5
9/ - 9/2
2
9/ 3- 9 2
30 /2
-1 9
0/
06

Number of Deaths
Graph 3. Heat Caused/Related Deaths by Week of Death, Maricopa County 2007

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Week of Death

Heat Caused

0-4

5-14

15-19

Male (35)

Heat Related

Graph 4. Heat Caused/Related Deaths by Age and Sex (n=50), 2007

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

20-34

Age Group (years)

Female (15)

35-64

65+

Graph 5. Heat Caused/Related Deaths by Age and Race/Ethnicity (n=50), 2007
20
18
16

Number of Deaths

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

0-4

5-14

15-19

20-34

35-64

65+

Age Group (years)
White (34)

Hispanic (2)

Black (2)

Native American (4)

Unknown (8)

The question regarding occupational or recreational exposure needs to be better researched. Only 3
certificates mentioned occupational death and only 3 others mentioned recreational. The rest could not
be classified as one or the other. Stay tuned.

Table 2: 2007 Maricopa County Heat Caused/Related Deaths by Alcohol or Drug and Transient Status

Transient
Alcohol or Drugs
Reported
Yes
No
Total

Yes

No

Unknown

1

9

1

11

3

35

1

39

4

44

2

50

Graph 6. Heat Caused/Related Deaths by Decedent’s Time in Arizona, 2007

19

20

Number of Deaths

18
16
14
11

12
10
8
6
3

4

1

2

3

2

2

2

2

1

2

1

1

20
+
un
kn
ow
n

17

15

14

13

11

10

8

7

4

1

<1

0

Years Living in AZ

Graph 7. Heat Caused/Related Death by Maximum and Minimum Temperatures per Day, 2007

Maricopa County Heat Caused/Related Deaths by Maximum and Minimum
Temperatures and Date 5/1/07-9/30/07 (n=50)
130

6
Excessive Heat Warning Issued
*

120

4

100
90
80

2

70
60

Date
Number of Deaths

High Temperature*

*A green bar indicates the initial date of an excessive heat warning

Low Temperature

7

7

9/
28
/2
00

9/
18
/2
00

7
9/
8/
20
07

7

8/
29
/2
00

8/
19
/2
00

7
8/
9/
20
07

7

7/
30
/2
00

7

7/
20
/2
00

7

7/
10
/2
00

7

6/
30
/2
00

7

6/
20
/2
00

7

6/
10
/2
00

7

5/
31
/2
00

5/
21
/2
00

5/
11
/2
00

7

0

5/
1/
20
07

50

Number of Deaths

Temperature (F)

110

Graph 8. Heat Caused/Related Deaths by City of Injury (n=50), 2007

Surprise
4%

Chandler
4%
Unknow n
10%

Sun City
6%
Scottsdale
4%

Gila Bend
2%

Goodyear
2%
Guadlupe
2%
Kom atke
2%

Mesa
18%

Peoria
4%

Phoenix
42%

Outdoors was the injury site of 25 deaths, and indoors of the other 25. (All but 8 of the 25 indoor cases had
no air conditioning available)
Graph 9. Heat Caused/Related Deaths by Environment and Location of Injury, 2007.
Indoor Heat Caused/Related Deaths
Maricopa County, 2007 by Place of Injury
(N=25)
80%

4%
Residence

12%
Business Building

4%
Car

Attic

Outdoor Heat Caused/Related Deaths by
Place of Injury, 2007 (N=25)

12%
35%

34%

19%
Yard

Desert/Rural

Residence

City