Extreme temperatures and morbidity in old age in Europe

Q3 Social Sciences

Vienna Yearbook of Population Research Pub Date : 2024-04-04 DOI:10.1553/p-8z36-6mmj

Francesca Zanasi, Risto Conte Keivabu

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Abstract

Understanding the relationship between extreme temperatures and health among older adults is of paramount importance for public health in ageing societies. This study aims to enhance our understanding of the impact of extreme temperatures on morbidity, i.e. the risk of being hospitalised, using medications for heart conditions, and experiencing the onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among older adults in Europe (65+ years old) using five waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004–2015). It also explores heterogeneity in this impact depending on an array of factors that affect exposure and vulnerability to climate, including geographical location, gender, age, educational level, having a partner/child and living in an urban or a rural area. Results from individual fixed-effects models show that extremely cold temperatures increase the risk of being hospitalised and suffering from CVDs, while heat exposure has no noteworthy effect. Broken down by geographical location, the results indicate that one additional extremely cold day influences the risk of hospitalisation in the coldest and the warmest European regions, while extreme heat influences this risk in the warmest European regions. Finally, the oldest old and low educated individuals appear to be the most vulnerable social groups. The study concludes by discussing the advantages and the limitations of using survey data to study climate and health, and the strategies suggested by the relevant literature to prevent temperature-related illness.

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极端气温与欧洲老年人的发病率

了解极端气温与老年人健康之间的关系对于老龄化社会的公共卫生至关重要。本研究旨在利用 "欧洲健康、老龄化和退休调查"（SHARE，2004-2015 年）的五个波次，进一步了解极端气温对欧洲老年人（65 岁以上）发病率的影响，即住院、使用心脏疾病药物和心血管疾病（CVDs）发病的风险。研究还探讨了这种影响的异质性，这种异质性取决于一系列影响气候暴露和脆弱性的因素，包括地理位置、性别、年龄、教育水平、有伴侣/子女以及居住在城市或农村地区。单个固定效应模型的结果显示，极度寒冷的气温会增加住院和罹患心血管疾病的风险，而高温暴露则没有显著影响。按地理位置细分，结果表明，在最冷和最热的欧洲地区，多一个极寒日会影响住院风险，而在最热的欧洲地区，极热会影响住院风险。最后，最年长的老人和受教育程度低的人似乎是最易受伤害的社会群体。研究最后讨论了使用调查数据研究气候与健康的优势和局限性，以及相关文献提出的预防与温度有关的疾病的策略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Vienna Yearbook of Population Research Social Sciences-Demography

CiteScore

1.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： In Europe there is currently an increasing public awareness of the importance that demographic trends have in reshaping our societies. Concerns about possible negative consequences of population aging seem to be the major force behind this new interest in demographic research. Demographers have been pointing out the fundamental change in the age composition of European populations and its potentially serious implications for social security schemes for more than two decades but it is only now that the expected retirement of the baby boom generation has come close enough in time to appear on the radar screen of social security planners and political decision makers to be considered a real challenge and not just an academic exercise.