Participatory Action Research to Explore Heat Exposure for Urban-Dwelling Older Adults in Boston: A Pilot Study

In order to design the best cities and programs for climate adaptation, it is necessary to consider the needs, experiences, and perspectives of those most vulnerable to the effects of a changing climate. With heat events increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration, and the number of very hot days predicted to increase dramatically, rising temperatures pose an urgent threat to health, especially in cities.The City's Age-Friendly Boston initiative, through the Age Strong Commission, and faculty and students at Boston University School of Public Health partnered to engage a senior center in Boston located in an area urban heat island. We recruited 12 seniors to participate in a mixed-methods, participatory action research project to characterize and better understand the experiences and thermal health needs of a population particularly vulnerable to heat, older adults.

Participants used temperature sensors to capture personal and in-home temperature measurements, as well as wore wristbands to track heart rate, sleep, and physical activity. In addition to these quantitative measures, participants used cameras and Photovoice to represent their lived experience and perspectives on heat, including challenges in and resources for coping with heat. At the conclusion of the project, participants will host a public event, share their photos and stories, as results from the quantitative temperature data collection, with city-level stakeholders involved in climate adaptation planning.