(Un)Healthy planet - (un)healthy people
The interdisciplinary research field of Planetary Health investigates, for example, how environmental changes such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution affect human health. One research topic that has become increasingly important in recent years is the influence of extreme weather events (e.g. heat waves) on biopsychosocial health.
In this context, two third-party funded projects are currently underway in the Health Psychology department: “multiSENSE” and “WellFit”. Both projects deal with topics of individual thermal comfort, well-being, health and their connection with physiology, in particular heart rate variability (HRV), during summer overheating. The focus of “multiSENSE” is on the psychophysiological heat management of older, vulnerable people in care institutions. “WellFit”, on the other hand, investigates the influence of heat on sleep and productivity at work - also from a psychophysiological perspective and using wearables.
We are addressing the following questions:
- How is heat reflected in the physiology of older people with multiple medical conditions and complex medication use?
- Does the heat response change with each additional day of heat?
- Do periods of heat affect the recovery function of sleep?
- Are we as productive in stressful air conditions?
Literature:
► Loder et al (2020). Perceived greenness at home and at university are independently associated with mental health