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Behavioral Response to Extreme Temperatures among the Elderly

Investigators:

Kathryn Grace, Sarah Flood, David Van Riper

Funding:

CACHE demonstration project; NIA-UMN LCC pilot grant (P30AG066613)

Data sources:

  • Time use data (2003-2024) from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). Data on how people spend their time are collected throughout the year and across the United States using daily time diaries. Through linkage with the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS), county of residence is available for a subset of ATUS respondents.
  • Daily temperature variables for the contiguous US from GridMET.

Measures:

  • Time use measurements
    1. Daily totals of the amount of time spent in various activities (e.g., sleep, exercise), with others, inside, and outside
    2. Data are collected throughout the year
  • Temperature measurements
    1. Mean, minimum, and maximum of the GridMET daily temperature variables aggregated to the county scale.

Project Summary:

Extreme temperature events represent the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the U.S., and age is a key risk factor for severe health outcomes (e.g., death, hospitalizations) from exposure to extreme temperatures. Older adults who are economically disadvantaged, of color, and have underlying health conditions or mobility limitations are most severely impacted by extreme temperatures, exacerbating health disparities. Behavior is a significant pathway through which social inequality leads to health disparities. Despite consensus that behavioral modifications can ameliorate the deleterious health outcomes for older adults caused by extreme temperatures, there is a dearth of interdisciplinary, scientifically based, rigorous studies of older adult behavior and temperature, especially during extreme temperature events.

This project examines variability in older adult behavior across the temperature spectrum (i.e., temperature-behavior relationship), focusing on both hot and cold seasons and extreme temperatures within those seasons. A socioecological framework guides this investigation of multilevel and heterogeneous impacts of temperature on health behavior. The results will inform interventions to reduce vulnerability and save lives.

To accomplish the proposed work, the project team will build a unique dataset to examine individual-level behavior—protective and deleterious—under varying temperature conditions. The dataset combines information on (1) daily behavior and well-being from the 2003-2024 American Time Use Survey; and (2) day- and location-specific temperature data. This novel dataset enables analyses of the determinants of behavioral responses to temperature changes. We will estimate the temperature-behavior relationship and assess variation in vulnerability by age, socioecological characteristics, and factors related to exposure and assess the significance of time and place for the impact of temperatures on behavior.

Outputs:

Presentations, future publications, and code to construct the dataset for analysis.