Assessing the Neuropsychological Benefits of Weatherization Programs

项目摘要 数以百万计的美国老年人的家没有提供足够的保护，免受极端温度， 主要原因是“能源贫困”。对房屋进行改造，提高能源效率， 室内温度可以减少极端温度对神经心理健康的不利影响。 室内温度可能会影响睡眠质量和短期认知功能，而高昂的水电费可能会影响睡眠质量。 加剧了财务担忧的心理压力。气候变化对健康的一些好处已经被 包括减少与哮喘相关的急诊就诊。我们提出 评估低成本和高成本气候变化计划的健康和财务影响，考虑到 新的或未充分研究的财务担忧，认知功能，睡眠质量和持续时间的结果。我们 我建议招收三类参与者：那些在寒冷气候中的低成本气候适应计划的参与者 （Detroit，MI）、在寒冷气候中的高成本气候化程序的那些（麦迪逊，WI）、以及高成本气候化程序的那些。 在温暖的气候（孟菲斯，田纳西州）的成本风化计划。在睡眠周期的纵向研究中， 测量（活动记录），多次调查和每小时一次的室内温度和湿度监测 一个人超过一年的参与，我们的目标是表征1）协会的室内温度与 认知功能和睡眠质量和持续时间，以及2）低成本和高成本气候变化的关联 方案与室内环境参数（温度、湿度）和资金的担忧有关。在目标3）中，我们将 描述低成本和高成本气候变化计划的货币化健康影响， 全社区的空气污染惠益（与减少能源消耗有关）和特定人群的健康 以往研究确定的效益以及目标1和2的任何效益。这项研究将推动我们的 减少极端天气对健康影响的长期目标， 家庭环境，减少能源生产和使用对健康影响的差异。这 研究将为能源效率和气候补贴的政策提供信息，考虑到医疗保健， 住房升级支出的节省可能会减少州或联邦补贴 医疗支出。这些干预措施可以通过改善室内环境来改善老年人的健康状况。 降低温度和公用事业成本，并帮助家庭（通过减少能源消耗） 适应极端天气。

PROJECT SUMMARY The homes of millions of older Americans do not provide adequate protection from extreme temperatures, due in large part to “energy poverty.” Modifications to homes that increase energy efficiency and improve indoor temperatures may reduce the adverse neuropsychological health impacts of extreme temperatures. Indoor temperatures may impact sleep quality and short-term cognitive function, and high utility bills may exacerbate the psychosocial stress of financial worry. Some of the health benefits of weatherization have been previously characterized, including reductions in emergency department visits related to asthma. We propose to evaluate the health and financial impacts of low-cost and higher-cost weatherization programs, considering the novel or under-studied outcomes of financial worry, cognitive function, and sleep quality and duration. We propose to enroll three categories of participants: those of a low-cost weatherization program in a cold climate (Detroit, MI), those of a high-cost weatherization program in a cold climate (Madison, WI), and those of a high- cost weatherization program in a warm climate (Memphis, TN). In a longitudinal study with sleep cycle measurements (actigraphy), multiple surveys and sub-hourly indoor temperature and humidity monitoring per person over one year of participation, we aim to characterize 1) associations of indoor temperatures with cognitive function and sleep quality and duration and 2) associations of low- and high-cost weatherization programs with indoor environmental parameters (temperature, humidity) and financial worry. In aim 3), we will characterize the monetized health impacts of low- and high-cost weatherization programs in terms of both community-wide air pollution benefits (related to reduced energy consumption) and recipient-specific health benefits identified in previous research and any benefits from aims 1 and 2. This research will advance our long-term objectives of reducing the health impacts of extreme weather, characterizing the health impacts of the home environment, and reducing disparities in the health impacts of energy generation and use. This research will inform policies for energy efficiency and weatherization subsidies, considering that medical savings from expenditures on housing upgrades would potentially reduce state- or federally-subsidized healthcare expenditures. Such interventions may improve the health of older adults via improvements to indoor temperatures and reductions in utility costs and help households both mitigate (through decreased energy usage) and adapt to extreme weather.