Climate change and health: Indoor heat exposure in vulnerable populations

Abstract

Introduction Climate change is increasing the frequency of heat waves and hot weather in many urban environments. Older people are more vulnerable to heat exposure but spend most of their time indoors. Few published studies have addressed indoor heat exposure in residences occupied by an elderly population. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between outdoor and indoor temperatures in homes occupied by the elderly and determine other predictors of indoor temperature. Materials and methods We collected hourly indoor temperature measurements of 30 different homes; outdoor temperature, dewpoint temperature, and solar radiation data during summer 2009 in Detroit, MI. We used mixed linear regression to model indoor temperatures’ responsiveness to weather, housing and environmental characteristics, and evaluated our ability to predict indoor heat exposures based on outdoor conditions. Results Average maximum indoor temperature for all locations was 34.85 °C, 13.8 °C higher than average maximum outdoor temperature. Indoor temperatures of single family homes constructed of vinyl paneling or wood siding were more sensitive than brick homes to outdoor temperature changes and internal heat gains. Outdoor temperature, solar radiation, and dewpoint temperature predicted 38% of the variability of indoor temperatures. Conclusions Indoor exposures to heat in Detroit exceed the comfort range among elderly occupants, and can be predicted using outdoor temperatures, characteristics of the housing stock and surroundings

Factors of subjective heat stress of urban citizens in contexts of everyday life

“…The elements influencing SHS, namely the location of the level within a building, heat protection elements, thermal insulation, and outdoor recreation possibilities, and the residential district's heat loading category, confirm results of previous surveys in German cities (Großmann et al, 2012;Pfaffenbach and Siuda, 2010). Moreover, they are in line with results obtained in temperature-related indoor and outdoor heat discomfort studies regarding the location of the level within the building White-Newsome et al, 2012). The decreasing effect elements of heat protection, outdoor recreation, and thermal insulation have on the SHS at home clearly illustrates at the same time that such structural measures are felt by building inhabitants during heat waves.…”

“…At the same time, the elements of buildings and the urban environment influencing SHS in our study refer to individual buildings' architecture, various building materials, urban structures, and characteristics in the urban environment that contribute to the small-scale variability also known from studies of indoor temperature distribution (Franck et al, 2013White-Newsome et al, 2012). To control and isolate all influencing factors and to achieve generalizable results from case studies, studies of SHS as well as studies that compare temperature measurements with subjective perceived temperature (Franck et al, 2013, Maras et al, 2014 would require very large samples, uniform study concepts, and similar weather conditions to achieve comparable and statistically significant results.…”

“…Since individuals spend most of their time indoors and can be exposed to and affected by high temperatures at home or at work, it is necessary to consider also indoor temperatures to understand potential factors for individual heat stress. Several studies therefore explored the outdoor-indoor temperature relationship for different building types and, in some cases, combined meteorological parameters with surveys on heat perception or behavior during heat waves in relation to the indoor temperature (Franck et al, 2013;Semenza et al, 2008;White-Newsome et al, 2012). Their results underpin the small-scale variability of indoor temperatures depending on sensitivities of building materials to outdoor temperatures, characteristics of the building, and its surroundings.…”

Effects of Heat Stress on Working Populations when Facing Climate Change

“…Heat waves are defined as 'extended periods of unusually high atmospheric related heat stress, which cause temporary modification in lifestyle and which may have adverse health consequences for a population' 10) . Heat waves have already affected some aspects of human health, such as excess heat related mortality in Europe during the summer of 2003 8) .…”

The Impact of Subsidies on the Prevalence of Climate-Sensitive Residential Buildings in Malaysia

“…For example, the 0.5 • C rise in mean temperatures in India between 1960 and 2009 resulted in a 146% increase in high mortality events (>100 mortalities) associated with heat [89]. Residential buildings are a strategic context in which to reduce health risks from rising temperatures [90,91]. The young and the elderly, who are especially susceptible to heat stress, spend a high proportion of time at home.…”