Speaker
Description
Background: Climate change is intertwined with excessive ambient temperatures. Humans’ adaptation to wide temperature changes varies greatly for unknown reasons. Methods: This study profits from a long-lasting heatwave event of the South-eastern Mediterranean: the july 1987 event. We studied a coastal (Piraeus) and a continental city (Athens). Mortality data were collected from the Piraeus Municipality Registry, whereas Athens data were obtained from literature retrieved from PUBMED. As for Athens, we also found studies providing data for 1988 and 1992 heatwave events. Ambient temperature characteristics were obtained from the Geronikolou 1991 thesis and the National Organizations. Thom’s formula was applied so as to calculate the Discomfort index for each city and event. From the death events the odds ratio and relative risk in Athens compared to the Piraeus 1987 event, were calculated. Results: the 1987 heatwave was more lethal (seven fold) in Athens than in Piraeus. The ensuing 1988 and 1992 heatwaves were less lethal, because the population learned to conform to the authorities advices while the 1992 observed increase may be imputed to population heterogeneity due to a recent large immigration. Conclusions: The odds of dying due to a heatwave is highly dependent on lifestyle (body watering, buildings cooling, prudent circulation and walking within the city, etc), population sensitization to preventive measures and Public health policy, as well as locality and land use planning.
References
1. Geronikolou, S. Public Health in Piraeus 1985-1989, Public Hygene, TIE, Athens 1991
2. Baccini, M.; Biggeri, A.; Accetta, G.; Kosatsky, T.; Katsouyanni, K.; Analitis, A.; Anderson, H.R.; Bisanti, L.; D'Ippoliti, D.; Danova, J.; et al. Heat effects on mortality in 15 European cities. Epidemiology 2008, 19, 711-719
3. Katsouyanni, K.; Trichopoulos, D.; Zavitsanos, X.; Touloumi, G. The 1987 Athens heatwave. Lancet 1988, 2, 573.
4. Kiraly, A.; Bartos, I.; Janosi, I.M. Correlation properties of daily temperature anomalies over land. Tellus A 2006, 58, 593–600.
5. Giles, B.D.; Balafoutis, C. The Greek heatwaves of 1987 and 1988. Int J Climatol 1990, 10, 505-5017.
