TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2000//
TI  - Heat-stress-related mortality in five cities in Southern Ontario: 1980-1996
JO  - International journal of biometeorology
A1  - Smoyer, K. E.
A1  - Rainham, D. G.
A1  - Hewko, J. N.
SP  - 190
EP  - 197
VL  - 44
IS  - 4
N2  - The Toronto-Windsor corridor of Southern Ontario, Canada, experiences hot and humid weather conditions in summer, thus exposing the population to heat stress and a greater risk of mortality. In the event of a climate change, heat-stress conditions may become more frequent and severe in Southern Ontario. To assess the impact of summer weather on health, we analyzed heat-related mortality in the elderly (older than 64 years) in the metropolitan areas of Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, Hamilton, and Toronto for a 17-year period. Demographic, socioeconomic, and housing factors were also evaluated to assess their effect on the potential of the population to adapt and their vulnerability to heat stress. Heat-stress days were defined as those with an apparent temperature (heat index) above 32 degrees C. Mortality among the elderly was significantly higher on heat-stress days than on non-heat-stress days in all cities except Windsor. The strongest relationships occurred in Toronto and London, followed by Hamilton. Cities with the greatest heat-related mortality have relatively high levels of urbanization and high costs of living. Even without the warming induced by a climate change, (1) vulnerability is likely to increase as the population ages, and (2) ongoing urban development and sprawl are expected to intensify heat-stress conditions in Southern Ontario. Actions should be taken to reduce vulnerability to heat stress conditions, and to develop a comprehensive hot weather watch/warning system for the region.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0020-7128
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -