Policy reform is urgently needed to assist older adults who live in southern US cities and experience higher-than-expected heat-related health issues if they don't have adequate access to air conditioning, according to a recent study by University of Waterloo researchers.

The findings of the study led the researchers to suggest that policymakers mitigate extreme heat conditions and adverse health conditions for older adults by requiring air conditioning in all new residential home construction or by addressing the high costs of operating air conditioners.

"We're very aware of wintertime issues and extreme cold, but it's time that we start looking at policies for addressing extreme heat as well," said Peter Crank, PhD, a professor in the university's Faculty of Environment. "We have to consider planning for places that are historically hot, but also other parts across Canada and the US which have seen significant heat wave events in the past few years."

The researchers analyzed the various health issues of 900 older adults who live in Phoenix, Houston, and Los Angeles, three US cities that lie within the Sun Belt, where daytime temperatures often surpass 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

While most of the adults surveyed have air conditioning installed, they still experience health issues from extreme heat or ozone due to the higher cost of using their air conditioning or not being able to afford repairs to their units.

The study also found that renovating homes to address weather-related issues such as weatherstripping around doors, increasing insulation and upgrading energy efficiency could help mitigate extreme heat-related health risks. However, the researchers believe the greatest impact to reducing those health issues would be policy reform to improve access to central air conditioning in homes.

The researchers plan to share their findings with government agencies, health networks, and advocacy groups across the US and Canada.

To download the article, published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, click here