Project Description
Though a sunburnt country is part of her charm, Australia’s temperature has been steadily rising. Since 1910, average temperatures across the nation have increased by 1.44 oC and are
expected to continue rising annually. As per the Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change each 0.5 oC increase in average temperature coincides with devastating environmental impacts. Australia’s leading scientific publications have identified managing heat as one of its top 3 policy
recommendations for governmental action. Though a degree or two of warming may not seem too bad, it causes drastic shifts in seasonal temperatures and lead to more intense, longer and more frequent extreme heat events. Indeed, with respect to human health, there’s a reason why extreme heat is Australia’s most deadly natural disaster.
Despite this rather grim outlook, research into heat health risks has indicated several protective factors including social cohesion, public awareness, and warning systems which can reduce heat-related morbidity and mortality within the general population. However, targeted warning systems for older persons are largely missing.
The EtHOs project aims to design an individual level early warning system to reduce extreme heat health risk in older Australians. Additionally, we hope to identify and promote appropriate person specific risk-based responses to reduce heat-health effects via behaviour change and supporting identified protective factors. By utilising real-time monitoring technology, risk
stratification, and decision making, we hope that the tool developed will keep older Australians living safely and confidently at home.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
This project is designed to help older persons and other heat vulnerable populations in Australia and is working towards transferability to other settings and other populations.
It is using a transdisciplinary research framework and drawing on many research disciplines as well as working closely with beneficiaries (older persons and their care systems), key government and industry stakeholders.
Outcomes to Date
Our Queensland survey of persons over 65 years conducted in 2022 has revealed that there is high awareness of heat as an issue in this population but that there is significantly less awareness of heat as a health risk suggesting that there is a lot of awareness raising required to achieve more behaviour change. It also identified a range of strategies that older people are using to cool during hot weather, though air conditioning which is a highly effective cooling strategy is not accessable or used by around 20% of this population.
Project Significance
This project contributes to improving the health and well-being of some of the most vulnerable in our society – our older persons, by providing them with information and solutions to reduce their heat-health risk and thereby helping them to live at home safely.
It is about using technology, data and science to take climate action to protect our communities as our climate warms and extreme heat events increase in intensity, duration and frequency.