Predictors Associated with Health-Related Heat Risk Perception of Urban Citizens in Germany
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Identifying the factors that statistically determine heat risk perception among urban citizens in Germany, specifically Augsburg, which influences their willingness to adapt to heat;
- Highlighting the gap between scientific heat risk perception and citizens’ heat risk perception, suggesting potential ways to begin adaptation measures.
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Descriptive Statistics
3.2. Factors Associated with Heat Risk Perception
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Factors Identified | Ref. | Statement |
---|---|---|
Hispanics | [24] | Not applicable in sample |
Women | [24] | Included |
Young people | [24] | Included |
Vulnerable groups | [25] | Has been included and itemised in various sub factors (age, living situation, income, etc.) |
Chronic diseases | [25] | Included |
Low income | [25] | Included |
Being married | [26] | Has been substituted in the study by ‘not living alone’ |
Suffering health impacts during heat | [27] | Included |
Political orientation | [28] | Political orientation in the USA not applicable for Germany |
Climate change beliefs | [28] | Substituted by item ‘heat seen as a problem’ |
Ethnic minority | [29] | Not applicable in sample |
Time working outside | [29] | Excluded, study focusses on temperatures at home |
Subjective health status | [30] | Not necessary because health implications during heat are asked; substituted by subjective heat sensitivity |
Variables | Category | Scale |
---|---|---|
Heat risk perception | 1 (very weak)—4 (very strong) | |
Knowledge of heat risks | 0 (none at all)—10 (very high) | |
Health implications score | Drowsiness Sleeping problems Concentration problems Vertigo Headache Nausea Cardiovascular problems (Summarised to one score) | 0 (none) 0.1—1 (moderate) 1.1—2 (high) |
Locus of control | Internal External | 1 (low) 2 (middle) 3 (high) |
Subjective Heat Sensitivity | 1 Not at all (sensitive) 2 Rather not 3 Neutral 4 Rather 5 Very much | |
Heat as a problem | In my city In my neighbourhood In my house | 1 (already today) 2 (maybe in future) 3 (neither today, nor in future) |
Spearman’s rho | Heat Risk Perception |
---|---|
Heat risk perception | . |
Knowledge about heat risks | 0.273 *** |
Health implication score | 0.351 *** |
Subjective heat sensitivity | 0.423 *** |
Internal locus of control | −0.136 *** |
External locus of control | 0.169 *** |
Variable | Category | N | Heat Risk Perception | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | Test Statistics | |||
Mean Rank a | ||||
Knowledge about heat risks | 0—3 (low) | 21 | 156.64 | Fa = 24.819 *** |
4—7 (moderate) | 314 | 221.15 | ||
8—10 (high) | 133 | 278.31 | ||
Age group | 18—29 | 110 | 2.94 | F = 3.252 ** |
30—64 | 286 | 2.89 | ||
65—74 | 42 | 2.54 | ||
Older than 74 | 30 | 2.85 | ||
Chronic disease | Yes | 92 | 3.05 | t = 2.5 ** |
No | 363 | 2.81 | ||
Health implications score | None | 29 | 2.241 | F = 33.531 *** |
Moderate | 332 | 2.247 | ||
High | 107 | 2.852 | ||
Subjective heat sensitivity | Not at all | 24 | 2.23 | F = 25.456 *** |
Rather not | 64 | 2.34 | ||
Neutral | 43 | 2.55 | ||
Rather | 218 | 2.87 | ||
Very strong | 119 | 2.85 | ||
Internal locus of control score | Low | 27 | 2.91 | F = 2.432 * |
Middle | 146 | 2.97 | ||
High | 295 | 2.79 | ||
External locus of control score | Low | 296 | 2.77 | F = 6.745 ** |
Middle | 153 | 2.94 | ||
High | 19 | 3.39 |
Model Summary | R2 = 0.264, R2adj = 0.253, F = 22.933, p < 0.001 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Dependent Variable a | Unst. β | Std. Error | Std. Coefficient β | t |
Knowledge about heat waves | 0.129 | 0.021 | 0.257 | 6.256 *** |
Age group | ns | |||
Chronic disease | ns | |||
Subjective sensitivity | 0.256 | 0.032 | 0.354 | 7.881 *** |
Health implication score | ns | |||
Internal locus of control | ns | |||
External locus of control | 0.066 | 0.023 | 0.123 | 2.828 ** |
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Beckmann, S.K.; Hiete, M. Predictors Associated with Health-Related Heat Risk Perception of Urban Citizens in Germany. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 874. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030874
Beckmann SK, Hiete M. Predictors Associated with Health-Related Heat Risk Perception of Urban Citizens in Germany. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(3):874. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030874
Chicago/Turabian StyleBeckmann, Sabrina K., and Michael Hiete. 2020. "Predictors Associated with Health-Related Heat Risk Perception of Urban Citizens in Germany" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 3: 874. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030874