Health Risks Related to Extreme Temperature Resulting from Climate Changes among Older Adults with Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

Background: Extreme temperatures are major environmental health hazards resulting from climate changes, represent a massive direct threat to respiratory health by aggravating respiratory diseases or indirectly by increasing exposure to risk factors for respiratory diseases and associated with an overall morbidity and mortality of older adults with chronic respiratory diseases. This study aimed to assess health risks related to extreme temperature resulting from climate changes among older adults with respiratory diseases. Research design: A descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Setting: Chest Outpatient Clinic in Benha University Hospital. The sample: A simple random sample was used which included 297 older adults with chronic respiratory diseases. Tool: One tool was used: A structured interviewing questionnaire to assess socio-demographic characteristics of the studied older adults with chronic respiratory diseases, respiratory health risks of the studied older adults related to extreme temperature, knowledge of the studied older adults regarding extreme temperatures resulting from climate change and chronic respiratory diseases and reported practice of the studied older adults regarding their adaptation to lessen the impact of extreme temperature on their respiratory health. Results: 66% of the studied older adults aged from 60 to less than 65 years with mean ±SD 63.21±7.52, 35.7% of them had asthma, 66.3 % of them had average total knowledge level about extreme temperatures and chronic respiratory diseases and 73.7 % of them had satisfactory total reported practices level regarding their adaptation to lessen the impact of extreme temperature on their respiratory health. Conclusion: There was a positive highly statistically significant relation between the studied older adults' total knowledge level and their total practices level. Recommendation: Health education program should be developed and implemented to improve older adults with chronic respiratory diseases knowledge and practices regarding their adaptation to lessen the impact of extreme temperature on their respiratory health status.