Current and potential role of youth in communicating risk and warning information to the elderly during heatwaves

In the US, heatwaves have been responsible for higher levels of mortality than earthquakes, tornados and floods combined. The most common victims are typically marginalised groups: the elderly, the sick and the socially isolated (Hajat et al. 2007, Schwartz 2005, Semenza 1996), but the adoption of a few simple measures can substantially reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality. Little is known about how ethnic and racial minority populations respond to public health initiatives and access health advice, and there is a clear need to address the inequality in how information about health risks in general is framed and disseminated. Through their contact with education systems, younger members of communities have the potential to act as agents of risk and health advice in communication systems and could play a potential role in reducing health risks during a heatwave.

This talk reports on the results of a series of focus groups aimed at identifying and comparing the conceptualisations, perceptions and level of health literacy evident in young people aged 16-25 and over 65 year olds from both white and ethnic minority backgrounds. The project combines linguistic and social science research methods: the focus groups materials were informed by a linguistic analysis of recent media reports on heatwaves and cognitive linguistic theory. The results have key implications for the potential of young people to access, understand and communicate warning information about heatwaves to elderly members of their communities.