Grantee Research Project Results

2009 Progress Report: Heat-related Hospital Admissions Among the Elderly: Community, Socio-economic and Medical Determinants of Vulnerability and Economic Impacts

EPA Grant Number: R832752
Title: Heat-related Hospital Admissions Among the Elderly: Community, Socio-economic and Medical Determinants of Vulnerability and Economic Impacts
Investigators: O'Neill, Marie , Diez Roux, Ana V. , Zanobetti, Antonella , Schrag, Daniel , Brown, Daniel , Levy, Helen , Schwartz, Joel , Williams, Roger
Current Investigators: O'Neill, Marie , Diez Roux, Ana V. , Zanobetti, Antonella , Schrag, Daniel , Brown, Daniel , Levy, Helen , Schwartz, Joel , Stults, Melissa , Williams, Roger
Institution: University of Michigan , ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability/Cities for Climate Protection Campaign , Harvard University
Current Institution: Harvard University , ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability/Cities for Climate Protection Campaign , University of Michigan
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: January 1, 2006 through December 1, 2009 (Extended to December 31, 2010)
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2009 through December 31,2009
Project Amount: $576,091
RFA: The Impact of Climate Change & Variability on Human Health (2005) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Climate Change

Objective:

1. a) Determine whether excess hospital admissions occur among elderly people during hot weather in 100 U.S. cities, from cardiovascular, respiratory, diabetes, and heat-related causes

b) Assess whether vulnerability to heat-associated hospital admission differs, according to:

- co-morbid conditions (diabetes; cardiovascular, respiratory, renal disease; overall frailty)

- individual characteristics (race, gender, age, use of public vs. private hospital)

- city-wide characteristics (percent poverty, percent with college education, percent of nonwhite population, air conditioning (AC) prevalence, percent green space, housing characteristics, air pollution concentrations, weather variability, city preventive programs)

2. Quantify the economic impact of these admissions under different climate change scenarios and adaptive/mitigative strategies, addressing equity concerns

3. Disseminate results to city officials to foster and inform preventive actions and policies

Progress Summary:

We have compiled datasets of community-level variables, with the exception of housing characteristics, which are about 1 week off from being ready, completed our city preventive survey, and completed the datasets of hospital admissions and environmental variables. Preliminary analyses have been conducted with the hospital and environmental data.

Future Activities:

We will complete dataset preparation and analyses and other remaining activities outlined in the grant proposal.

Journal Articles on this Report : 4 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 38 publications	21 publications in selected types	All 21 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	O'Neill MS, Carter R, Kish JK, Gronlund CJ, White-Newsome JL, Manarolla X, Zanobetti A, Schwartz JD. Preventing heat-related morbidity and mortality: new approaches in a changing climate. Maturitas 2009;64(2):98-103.	R832752 (2009) R832752 (Final)	Full-text from PubMed Abstract from PubMed Associated PubMed link Abstract: Maturitas-Abstract Exit
Journal Article	O'Neill MS, Jackman DK, Wyman M, Manarolla X, Gronlund CJ, Brown DG, Brines SJ, Schwartz J, Diez-Roux AV. US local action on heat and health: are we prepared for climate change? International Journal of Public Health 2010;55(2):105-112.	R832752 (2009) R832752 (Final)	Abstract from PubMed Abstract: Springer-Abstract Exit
Journal Article	Reid CE, O’Neill MS, Gronlund CJ, Brines SJ, Brown DG, Diez-Roux AV, Schwartz J. Mapping community determinants of heat vulnerability. Environmental Health Perspectives 2009;117(11):1730-1736.	R832752 (2009) R832752 (Final)	Full-text from PubMed Abstract from PubMed Associated PubMed link Full-text: EHP-Full Text PDF Abstract: EHP-Abstract & Full Text HTML
Journal Article	White-Newsome J, O’Neill MS, Gronlund C, Sunbury TM, Brines SJ, Parker E, Brown DG, Rood RB, Rivera Z. Climate change, heat waves, and environmental justice: advancing knowledge and action. Environmental Justice 2009;2(4):197-205.	R832752 (2009) R832752 (Final)	Abstract: Liebert-Abstract Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

global climate, health effects, sensitive populations, susceptibility, RFA, Health, Air, Scientific Discipline, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Ecological Risk Assessment, Health Risk Assessment, Risk Assessments, Atmosphere, Air Pollution Effects, climate change, Environmental Monitoring, Risk Assessment, ecosystem models, Global Climate Change, hormone degradation, air quality modeling, human exposure, regional climate model, climate models, demographics, cardiotoxicity, ambient air pollution, climatic influence, cardiovascular disease, human health risk, modeling, elderly adults, heat related health effects, biochemical research, exposure assessment

Relevant Websites:

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.