Stockholm in heatwave - housing, people and public health

There is substantial evidence linking high outdoor temperatures to an increase in population morbidity, but little is known about the relationship between indoor heat exposure and its effect on health.

As the frequency of heat waves increases, it is crucial to comprehend the sensitivity of various dwellings to outdoor temperature, particularly in homes occupied by the elderly.

This project aims to establish an evidence-based upper indoor temperature threshold for health, identify dwelling-specific characteristics that are most likely to increase the risk of heat-related illness, develop a temperature sensitivity regression model for indoor temperature prediction, and visualize area-level heat-vulnerability of the buildings using interactive maps.

Using temperature loggers, automatic messages, and electronic questionnaires, we plan to collect indoor temperature and humidity data, as well as self-reported information about sleep quality, and mental and physical health, from 1,000 adults across Stockholm County during the summers of 2024-2025.

Actiheart-5, activity, heart rate, and sleep monitors will be utilized to collect physiological data from 300 senior citizens.

Using multiple regression models, the associations between indoor temperatures and health outcomes will be investigated.

By fitting the collected indoor temperature data to a modified energy balance model, a model for predicting interior temperatures in various types of buildings will be developed.