Background Vulnerable populations across the United States are frequently exposed to extreme heat, which is becoming more intense due to a combination of climate change and urban-induced warming. Extreme heat can be particularly detrimental to the health and well-being of older citizens when it is combined with ozone. Although population-based studies have demonstrated associations between ozone, extreme heat, and human health, few studies focused on the role of social and behavioral factors that increase indoor risk and exposure among older adults. Methods We conducted a household survey that aimed to understand how older adults are affected by extreme heat and ozone pollution inside and outside of their homes across Houston, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. We examine contributing factors to the risk of self-reported health effects using a generalized linear mixed-effects regression model of telephone survey data of 909 older adults in 2017. Results We found an increased occurrence of self-reported symptoms for extreme heat with preexisting respiratory health conditions and a lack of air conditioning access; self-reported ozone symptoms were more likely with preexisting respiratory health conditions. The risk of heat-related symptoms was slightly higher in Los Angeles than Houston and Phoenix. We found several demographic, housing, and behavioral characteristics that influenced the risk of heat- and ozone-related symptoms. Conclusions The increased risk among older adults based on specific social and behavioral factors identified in this study can inform public health policy and help cities tailor their heat and ozone response plans to the specific needs of this vulnerable population.

中文翻译：

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3 个阳光地带城市老年人极端高温和臭氧风险的社会人口学决定因素


背景 美国各地的弱势群体经常暴露在极端高温下，由于气候变化和城市引起的变暖，高温变得更加强烈。当极端高温与臭氧相结合时，对老年人的健康和福祉尤其有害。尽管基于人群的研究已经证明了臭氧、极端高温与人类健康之间存在关联，但很少有研究关注增加老年人室内风险和暴露的社会和行为因素的作用。方法 我们进行了一项家庭调查，旨在了解休斯顿、凤凰城和洛杉矶的老年人在家中内外如何受到极端高温和臭氧污染的影响。我们使用 2017 年对 909 名老年人的电话调查数据的广义线性混合效应回归模型来检查自我报告健康影响风险的影响因素。结果：我们发现，在先前存在呼吸健康状况和缺乏空调的情况下，自我报告的极端高温症状的发生率增加;自我报告的臭氧症状更有可能与先前存在的呼吸健康状况有关。洛杉矶出现高温相关症状的风险略高于休斯顿和凤凰城。我们发现了影响高温和臭氧相关症状风险的几个人口统计学、住房和行为特征。结论 根据本研究中确定的特定社会和行为因素，老年人风险增加可以为公共卫生政策提供信息，并帮助城市根据这一弱势群体的特定需求定制其高温和臭氧响应计划。