Heat Awareness and Response in Senior Populations in British Columbia

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1 Heat Awareness and Response in Senior Populations in British Columbia Dr. Kate L. Bassil, Simon Fraser University Dr. Tom Kosatsky, BC Centre for Disease Control Hannah Moffatt, Simon Fraser University

2 Heat Health Impacts High mortality From , 3,442 reported US heat-related deaths. Mean of 688/year (MMWR 2006). Lack of public recognition Silent killer No damage to infrastructure Many deaths go unreported Preventable mortality & morbidity Seniors are a particularly vulnerable group

3 Research Gap To date, few studies of awareness and practice have been conducted in areas that do not have a formal heat alert system No comprehensive research on heat & health in British Columbia

4 The British Columbia Context Common perception heat is not a significant health concern in this temperate region The southern interior & lower Fraser Valley can reach daily maximum summer temperatures above 30 C Extreme heat is infrequent, thus residents are less acclimatized Limited air conditioning use The Fraser River, BC. Source: Mimigu at en.wikipedia

5 BC Temperature & Mortality Fraser East RR Mean temperature C

6 Objective To describe heat awareness and response in elderly residents of the south-western interior of BC: Chilliwack, Abbotsford, & Hope Information about heat awareness and response: i) knowledge of heat as a health hazard ii) key sources used to obtain information about impending hot weather iii) protective behaviours adopted during periods of extreme heat

7 Participants Participants included individuals over the age of 65 living in long-term care (LTC) facilities, assisted living facilities, & the community Access to participants via: Colleagues at Fraser Health Authority Advertising in community newspapers, and websites Posters at community centers Contact with seniors outreach societies and community organizations

8 Methods Focus groups In Hope & Chilliwack Community resident volunteers Explored local relevance & refined survey tool Survey questionnaire Questionnaire modified from a previous heat perception study minutes individual surveys Descriptive statistics, calculated using SAS 9.1

9 Focus Group Results Perception of heat as a hazard varied Participants could successfully describe local heat events I do not consider myself old Protective health behaviours identified Drinking more water, avoiding coffee, wearing light clothing, opening windows, using fans, taking a cool shower, using a cool face cloth, etc. Socioeconomic status & social isolation the longer you live, the broker you are Great concern for others in the community who are socially isolated Sources of information about hot weather and health Local media provides little to no information on protective measures

10 Survey Results 108 participants long-term care facilities (30%), assisted living (30%), & community (39%) The majority of participants with access to airconditioning live in long term care or assisted living Only 30% of community dwellers have air-conditioning in their homes The majority (77%) of participants read and/or listen to weather forecasts and trust these reports

11 Knowledge about extreme heat Knowledge question (n=108) Correct response (%) If after a hot day, temperature remains high at 73 night, it has a worse effect on health ( true ) The heat can affect your health even before you 64 feel warning signs ( true ) The humidex is based on two factors. Which? 39 ( temperature and humidity ) Heat waves have a greater effect on people s health when they occur ( at the beginning of the summer ) Senior populations are particularly at risk of the effect of heat on health 17 83

12 Protective measures during extreme heat Select protective measures surveyed Always or often use (n=108) (%) Spend time in an air conditioned environment 36 Use a fan 60 Cool off with a wet towel, bath, or shower 20 Take the temperature inside your home 31 Open the windows during the day 23 Open the windows at night 64 Reduce activities that require physical effort 56 Drink at least 1 litre of water per day 66 Avoid alcoholic beverages 29 Ask for help with daily activities 7 Make sure there is someone they can contact 31 daily in case of a problem

13 Limitations Unable to reach particularly vulnerable individuals: The very frail and socially isolated; community dwellers restricted to their home and unable to travel to community areas for interviews The extremely ill and frail individuals living in residential facilities who could not tolerate a 45 minute interview

14 Conclusions Contextualizing the BC situation: heat is not perceived as a major health hazard Clear differences in use of air conditioning according to type of residence Most participants reported using at least one protective behaviour measures

15 Implications While their perception of risk is low, seniors represent a particularly vulnerable group to heat There have been clear health impacts in these areas over recent summers Increasing concern associated with climate change There still work to be done to increase perception of heat as a health hazard in areas of BC & encourage the use of protective behaviours

16 Questions? Kate Bassil, PhD Faculty of Health Sciences Simon Fraser University, British Columbia Project funded by the Climate Change and Heath Office, Health Canada