Perceptions of heatwave risks to health: interview-based study of older people in London and Norwich, UK

Abrahamson, Vanessa; Wolf, Johanna; Lorenzoni, Irene; Fenn, Bridget; Kovats, Sari; Wilkinson, Paul; Adger, W. Neil; Raine, Rosalind

doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdn102

Cited by 209 publications

(238 citation statements)

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“…Despite this, relatively little is known about particular risks faced by farm workers and their level of knowledge and individual ability to implement heat illness prevention practices. There is published literature examining knowledge and attitudes related to heat stress and heat illness in older adults [21][22][23] and athletes 24) , but we are not aware of any assessments of knowledge and practices in farm worker populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat-related Illness Knowledge and Practices among California Hired Farm Workers in The MICASA Study

et al. 2013

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Global climate change has great potential for escalating the number and duration of extreme heat events in California. California accounts for 16% of U.S. crop production, and over 450,000 people are employed in agriculture, with more than two-thirds being of Latino ethnicity. Despite Cal/OSHA regulations which specify that potable water, toilets, shade and rest be provided to agricultural workers, heat related illnesses and deaths still occur. The MICASA Study is a population-based sample of 467 hired farm worker households from Mendota, in California's Central Valley. 474 study participants completing follow-up interview and working in agriculture in the year prior are included in this analysis. Men reported an average of 222 d (SD=69.7) of work compared to 148 d (SD=67.3) for women (p<0.0001). Over 91% of participants reported receiving training on heat-related illness, but level of heat illness knowledge was moderate with 70% responding correctly to 4-5 questions. Knowledge about acclimatization was low, with 44% severely underestimating the time required, and water consumption was low at an average of 10.7 drinks per day. Results suggest important areas to target for heat illness prevention in farm worker populations and that gender specific approaches may be needed for effective heat illness prevention.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat-related Illness Knowledge and Practices among California Hired Farm Workers in The MICASA Study

et al. 2013

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“…Many studies find a link between age and vulnerability to high temperatures (e.g., Fouillet et al 2006), but it is also important to note the role of risk perception among all groups (Grothman and Patt 2005). Various studies show that people who do not perceive themselves to be at risk are less likely to take measures to prevent the effects of heat stress, even when they are in fact at high risk (Abrahamson et al 2009, Wolf et al 2010. One study looked at the links between employment and climate change vulnerability, uncovering an additional social layer of vulnerability whereby people's occupation exposes them to a greater level of climate risk, for example lower-paid, unskilled jobs, e.g., outdoor manual laborers, train drivers, or factory workers, are higher risk than higher paid, high-skill jobs, e.g., those in air-conditioned offices (TUC 2009).…”

Section: Vulnerability To High Temperaturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Justice and Adaptation in the UK

Benzie¹

2014

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Adaptation strategies and policies are normally based on climate impact assessments that fail to take account of the social nature and distribution of vulnerability to climate change. This is largely a product of the dominant assessment techniques that are used to inform such strategies and the limits of existing evidence. In this paper I contribute to filling gaps in the current adaptation literature by exploring the social nature of vulnerability and the potential for socially just adaptation. It does so by reviewing studies from the UK, in particular those under the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Climate Change and Social Justice programme. It finds that vulnerability to high temperatures and fluvial and coastal flooding, in terms of sensitivity, exposure, and the capacity to anticipate, respond, and recover, is concentrated in certain disadvantaged and socially marginalized groups, including those on low incomes. It also finds that both autonomous and planned adaptation may fail to protect the most vulnerable individuals and groups, and may even reinforce existing patterns of vulnerability in some cases, i.e., mal-adaptation, especially where they rely on unmediated market forces or where they fail to explicitly recognize aspects of social vulnerability in their design and implementation. I argue that social justice should be an explicit objective of adaptation strategy.

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“…Such user testing may also identify unintended issues that may undermine the effectiveness of the communication. For example, it has been suggested that warnings to prepare for heat waves may be more effective if they target the whole population rather than just 'vulnerable older adults,' because even people over the age of 70 may object to being referred to as 'old' and may not perceive themselves as vulnerable (Abrahamson et al 2009). Thus, involving intended audience members through user testing may help to design communications that they perceive as acceptable and trustworthy, and useful for applying to their decisions.…”

Section: Prescriptive Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informing Public Perceptions About Climate Change: A ‘Mental Models’ Approach

Wong‐Parodi

Bruin

2016

Sci Eng Ethics

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Informing public perceptions about climate change: A 'mental models' approach AbstractAs the specter of climate change looms on the horizon, people will face complex decisions about whether to support climate change policies and how to cope with climate change impacts on their lives. Without some grasp of the relevant science, they may find it hard to make informed decisions. Climate experts therefore face the ethical need to effectively communicate to non-expert audiences. Unfortunately, climate experts may inadvertently violate the maxims of effective communication, which require sharing communications that are truthful, brief, relevant, clear, and tested for effectiveness. Here, we discuss the 'mental models' approach towards developing communications, which aims to help experts to meet the maxims of effective communications, and to better inform the judgments and decisions of non-expert audiences.

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Perceptions of heatwave risks to health: interview-based study of older people in London and Norwich, UK

Abstract: The Heatwave Plan should consider giving greater emphasis to a population-based information strategy, using innovative information dissemination methods to increase awareness of vulnerability to heat among the elderly and to ensure clarity about behaviour modification measures.

Cited by 209 publications

References 11 publications

Heat-related Illness Knowledge and Practices among California Hired Farm Workers in The MICASA Study

Heat-related Illness Knowledge and Practices among California Hired Farm Workers in The MICASA Study

Social Justice and Adaptation in the UK

Informing Public Perceptions About Climate Change: A ‘Mental Models’ Approach

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