[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-447699-105":59,"doc-detail-447699-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","promoting-targeted-heat-early-warning-systems-for-at-risk-populations","Promoting targeted heat early warning systems for at-risk populations","","Extreme heat threatens vulnerable urban populations, while existing heat early warning systems mostly operate at population level rather than directly protecting individuals most at risk. Climate change increases the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events, raising heat-related illness and death in older adults with heat-sensitive chronic diseases. Individualized early warning and protective action guidance could better address risk awareness and physiological status. However, adoption may be limited by cost, digital literacy, and uneven access to reliable internet or mobile infrastructure.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/promoting-targeted-heat-early-warning-systems-for-at-risk-populations/447699/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/promoting-targeted-heat-early-warning-systems-for-at-risk-populations/447699.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"moss~","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-08","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"Why are existing heat early warning systems not fully protective for vulnerable people?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"They typically issue alerts at population level using broad meteorological thresholds, which do not capture individual variability in heat vulnerability. This leaves gaps for those who may underestimate personal risk.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"How does climate change increase the risk from extreme heat?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Climate change amplifies the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events. In aging populations, physiological and cognitive factors further heighten vulnerability and the likelihood of heat-related morbidity and mortality.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"What limitations could reduce uptake of individualized heat early warning systems?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Limitations include cost, requirements for digital literacy, and unequal access to dependable internet or mobile infrastructure. These barriers may be especially significant for lower-income or technologically skeptical older adults.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},447699,1791168690,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},962090895452,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","Europe PMC unders uthManuscripts Europe M eC und Author Manuscripts  \n| Europe PMC Funders Group\u003Cbr>Author Manuscript\u003Cbr>Nat Clim Chang. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2026 January 06. |\n| --- |\n| Published in final edited form as:\u003Cbr>Nat Clim Chang. 2025 August ; 15(8): 806–808. doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02374-2 .\u003Cbr>Promoting targeted heat early warning systems for at-risk populations\u003Cbr>Fergus K. O’Connor1 , Mehak Oberai2 , Zhiwei Xu2 , Sebastian Binnewies3 , Shannon Rutherford2 , Robert D. Meade4,5 , Steven Baker6 , Ella Jackman2 , Connor Forbes3 , Aaron\u003Cbr>J. E. Bach 1,✉\u003Cbr>1School of Allied Health, Sport and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.\u003Cbr>2School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.\u003Cbr>3School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.\u003Cbr>4 Department of Epidemiology, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.\u003Cbr>5The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.\u003Cbr>6 Department of Social Work, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.\u003Cbr>Abstract\u003Cbr>Extreme heat poses a growing threat to vulnerable urban populations, and the existing heat early warning system usually operates at population level. Pairing emerging individualized and population early warning systems could directly and meaningfully extend protection to those most in need.\u003Cbr>Climate change is amplifying the frequency, intensity and duration of extreme heat events. As global populations age and urbanize 1, older adults, especially those with heat-sensitive chronic diseases (for example, cardiovascular disease), face heightened risks of heat-related morbidity and mortality2. Age-related impairments in thermoregulatory mechanisms, such as reduced skin blood flow and sweating, often coincide with declines in cardiovascular and kidney function, and increased basal inflammation, making extreme heat not just athermoregulatory challenge but an all-systems stressor in ageing populations.\u003Cbr>An individual’s ability to protect themselves from the adverse effects of hot weather depends on previous awareness of impending heat events and the capacity to implement appropriate protective actions. Effective behavioural responses require a recognized need to act, which\u003Cbr>This work is licensed under a BY 4.0 International license.✉ [a.bach@griffith.edu.au](a.bach@griffith.edu.au) .\u003Cbr>Competing interests\u003Cbr>The authors declare no competing interests |\n\nEurope PMC unders uthManuscripts Europe M eC und Author Manuscripts  \nO’Connor et al. Page 2  \nis influenced by risk awareness and understanding of physiological status, along with the interplay between physiological and cognitive responses to heat stress3. Although older adults exhibit heightened vulnerability to heat, they often do not consider themselves at risk of the health dangers associated with extreme heat exposure4.  \nMost existing heat early warning systems (EWS) operate at the population level, using broad meteorological thresholds to issue alerts. While effective at scale, they lack sensitivity to individual variability in heat vulnerability and personalized alerts. Recent advancesin wearable biosensors5, digital health technologies and advanced predictive modelling6 enable more targeted EWS7–9. These individualized heat EWS offer the potential to motivate protective behaviour by closing the perception gap for those who might otherwise underestimate their susceptibility to heat exposure. However, these innovations are not without limitations. The cost, digital literacy requirements and unequal access to reliable Internet or mobile infrastructure may limit uptake, especially among lower-income or technologically sceptical older adults. As such, while individual EWS offer considerable promise, ensuring equitable access and affordability","cbCaio0zgCmpP1of","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaio0zgCmpP1of","pdf",535296,"English","# Abstract\n## Individualized versus population-level EWS\n## Current population-based EWS\n## Limitations of population EWS","[{\"question\":\"Why are existing heat early warning systems not fully protective for vulnerable people?\",\"answer\":\"They typically issue alerts at population level using broad meteorological thresholds, which do not capture individual variability in heat vulnerability. This leaves gaps for those who may underestimate personal risk.\"},{\"question\":\"How does climate change increase the risk from extreme heat?\",\"answer\":\"Climate change amplifies the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events. In aging populations, physiological and cognitive factors further heighten vulnerability and the likelihood of heat-related morbidity and mortality.\"},{\"question\":\"What limitations could reduce uptake of individualized heat early warning systems?\",\"answer\":\"Limitations include cost, requirements for digital literacy, and unequal access to dependable internet or mobile infrastructure. These barriers may be especially significant for lower-income or technologically skeptical older adults.\"}]","Promoting targeted heat early warning systems for at-risk populations | PDF",1790722260,15]