Older, Hotter, and at Risk? Demographic Vulnerability to Climate-Related Exposures in Europe

Isabelle Leunig , Bocconi University

As the frequency and intensity of climate change related environmental hazards increase across Europe, vulnerable populations such as children, women and older adults may face amplified health risks. Evidence points to heightened risks for women and elderly individuals, yet both groups are heterogeneous. Women may be in early or late life stages, facing distinct health challenges. Similarly, the elderly may range from 65 to ~100 years of age, comprising males and females of varying socioeconomic backgrounds and health conditions. This poster presents a longitudinal investigation using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe merged with the SHARE ENV module (region matched indicators on heat, cold, radiation, precipitation, air pollution, and floods). The research question asks: How do climate related exposures influence health outcomes in older Europeans, and do these associations differ by sex? I estimate individual fixed effects panel regressions to control for time invariant confounders, including interaction tests (exposure × female) and stratified models by sex. Primary exposures focus on heat/cold and radiation, given rich variability; pollution, precipitation, and flood days are included as exploratory exposures due to higher sparsity and/or lower event frequency. Outcome variables are grouped into health status, mental health, healthcare utilisation, functional health, and cognitive health to assess multiple health dimensions. I hypothesise that higher environmental exposures are associated with worse health, that older women exhibit greater vulnerability than men, that differences exist across outcome groups, and that the oldest old (by sex) are most impacted. Findings may inform policy relevant insights and sex specific adaptation needs.

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 Presented in Session P6. Health, Mortality, and Ageing 2