Do extreme weather events affect teen health? Study explores links
New study to examine the health impacts of exposure to extreme weather events on Canadian teens
An Athabasca University researcher will lead a study to understand how climate change and related extreme weather events affect the health of teens in Canada.
Dr. Gina Martin, an assistant professor in AU’s Faculty of Health Disciplines, said that climate change has resulted in an increase in frequency and severity of extreme-weather events such as wildfires, heat waves, drought, floods, and hurricanes. Thanks to a $300,000 New Investigator Grant jointly funded by the SickKids Foundation and the CIHR-Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health, Martin and a team of collaborators will explore how these events affect the health and well-being of teens across Canada.
“We know that young people today may be exposed to multiple extreme weather and related events, yet we know very little about how this affects their health and well-being,” she said. “We’re hoping to help fill that gap.”
Learning from existing data
According to Martin, much of the existing research in this area focuses on the impacts in one community after the experience of an extreme-weather or related event. For example, studies have explored how wildfires affect the mental health of teens in a particular community. Her project aims to take a broader view across Canada looking at multiple health outcomes and across several types of extreme weather and weather-related events.
For example, it’s possible that young people living in British Columbia during the heat dome in 2021 could also have experienced a wildfire depending on where they live.
To find the answers, the team will combine data from existing surveys of teens who report on various health and well-being outcomes with historical environmental data.
She explained that a key part of her work to date has focused on developing a process to use various data sources.
Besides publishing results of the project in a peer-reviewed journal, Martin also plans to share the team’s approach with other scientists exploring similar things with other populations.
Research to help build policy
Martin has been involved in several studies that examine climate change and mental health specifically regarding youth.
Research in this area is important, she said, because it can help inform policy and mitigation strategies to protect the health of young people.
“We want to be able to understand the impacts climate change is having on young people so that we can be proactive given the urgency of the situation, but using an evidence-informed approach,” said Martin.
An interdisciplinary team
Martin will work with a mentor from Brock University and an interdisciplinary team of researchers including climatologists, geographers, and experts in teen health. Having that kind of expertise on the team is important to Martin, as it ensures the team thinks through their approach and findings using several viewpoints.
“I think an interdisciplinary approach is going to be used in a lot of projects moving forward as we are attempting to understand complex issues that don’t fit neatly into disciplinary boxes.”
The project is funded through the SickKids New Investigator Research Grant. This grant allows early-career researchers to make a meaningful contribution to the fight for children’s health and is jointly sponsored by SickKids Foundation, and CIHR’s Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health.
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