Project aims
To provide behavioural science and evaluation input into a cross-HPRU research team (EBS HPRU and the Climate Change and Health Security HPRU) addressing the health impacts of climate change-related hazards. This research will aim to advance the knowledge of the intersection of climate change, public health and behavioural science, providing actionable insights into effective intervention design and promoting evidence-based approaches to safeguard health in the context of environmental change. The work will focus on developing, designing, co-producing and evaluating interventions that enhance population resilience to adverse weather, using a stakeholder-driven, implementation-oriented approach. Projects will comprise of:
- Designing natural experiments to assess the impact of amber and red heat health alerts on performance of health protective behaviours, providing insight into how individuals respond to official warnings and inform strategies to optimise engagement with public health guidance.
- Co-design of a toolkit for health professionals to enable effective communication of risk-related information and guidance on protective behaviours to support awareness, identification and outreach to at-risk populations.
- Collaboration with local authorities across the UK to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing climate-adaptation interventions.
- Exploration of risk perception and protective behavioural performance of different at-risk groups for hot weather, cold weather and flooding events.
Lead researchers
Partners
Papers/Further information:
Factors associated with older adults’ perception of health risks of hot and cold weather event exposure: A scoping review
Adverse Weather and Health Plan
Health Effects of Climate Change Report 2023
