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Erschienen in: Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie 6/2014

01.08.2014 | Beiträge zum Themenschwerpunkt

The challenges posed by climate change to successful ageing

verfasst von: A. Wanka, A. Arnberger, B. Allex, R. Eder, H.-P. Hutter, P. Wallner

Erschienen in: Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie | Ausgabe 6/2014

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Abstract

Ever since the 2003 heat wave that caused 70,000 heat deaths, the dramatic consequences of climate change and rising temperatures in Europe have become an intensively researched topic. During heat waves, the older urban adult population is at highest risk. The STOPHOT project is the first investigation in Austria to establish a comprehensive knowledge base on heat perception, awareness of heat risks and adaptive/coping behaviours among older adults. The main research questions include: (1) Does climate change endanger the chances of successful ageing in urban areas? (2) How do age, social inequalities and the living environment intersect with environmental stressors in affecting successful ageing? (3) Which heat adaption strategies do older adults deploy and to what extent can they mediate heat stress in an effort to increase chances of successful ageing under the conditions of climate change? The results indicate that climate change and rising temperatures are in fact one important determinant of whether and how an older person can maintain well-being in later life. Older adults (> 65 years) with a low socio-economic status and poor health conditions, who tend to be socially isolated, are most at risk. However, no ‘heat island effect’ of the residential environment could be found. How much a person suffers from heat stress is highly dependent on the adaption strategies deployed. Adaption strategies of older urban residents mostly centred on body-related measures, such as drinking more or wearing lighter clothes, and indoor-centred measures, particularly avoiding the outdoors.
Fußnoten
1
The basis for the identification of the urban heat islands was a thermal map of Vienna showing the temperature differences in the city.
 
2
http://www.sf-36.org/tools/sf8.shtml.
 
3
Based on the items: fainting, anxiety, headache, dizziness, breathing problems, exhaustion, sleeping problems, fatigue.
 
4
Educational attainment was categorised in reference to the UNESCO’s International Standardised Classification of Education (ISCED), 1997 version, ranging from level 0 to 6. Level 0 indicates pre-primary education as highest educational attainment, level 1 indicates primary education, level 2 lower secondary education, level 3 upper secondary education, level 4 post-secondary, non-tertiary education, level 5 first stage of tertiary education and level 6 second stage of tertiary education.
 
5
Three summarising scores were constructed to resemble heat-coping strategies, depending on whether coping activities mainly involved the indoors, the outdoors or the body. Indoor measures [9]: close curtains, close windows during daytime, sleep, move little outdoors, turn the air-conditioner on, turn the fan on, stay in cooler rooms indoors, conduct activities early or late in the day, stay indoors; outdoor measures [3]: go swimming, go to cooler places outdoors, go outdoors; body measures [5]: wear lighter clothes, increase liquid intake, eat more soup/drink mineral water, take a cold shower, rinse forearms with cold water.
 
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Metadaten
Titel
The challenges posed by climate change to successful ageing
verfasst von
A. Wanka
A. Arnberger
B. Allex
R. Eder
H.-P. Hutter
P. Wallner
Publikationsdatum
01.08.2014
Verlag
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in
Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie / Ausgabe 6/2014
Print ISSN: 0948-6704
Elektronische ISSN: 1435-1269
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-014-0674-1

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