Table 1.
Characteristics of the participants and simple comparison between cases and controls
| Cases | Controls | p Value* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total N=286 | 143 | 143 | |
| Demographic | |||
| Female | 50% | 50% | |
| Mean age | 73 (SD 21) | 73 (SD 21) | |
| European ethnic | 94% | 97% | 0.06 |
| Married/de facto | 43% | 60% | <0.01 |
| Highest education level more than year 12 | 8% | 41% | <0.01 |
| Annual personal income >$50 000 | 4% | 27% | <0.01 |
| Working | 27% | 30% | 0.10 |
| Living conditions | |||
| Institutional living | 6% | 10% | 0.18 |
| Single-level independent house living | 69% | 68% | 0.10 |
| North-facing building | 78% | 56% | <0.01 |
| Living alone | 43% | 33% | 0.08 |
| Having a pet | 27% | 44% | <0.01 |
| Air-conditioner in the house | 51% | 87% | <0.01 |
| Air-conditioner in the bedroom | 17% | 52% | <0.01 |
| Easy ventilation | 43% | 82% | <0.01 |
| Support | |||
| Having private health insurance | 17% | 64% | <0.01 |
| Having an emergency button | 11% | 31% | <0.01 |
| Having social activities more than once a week | 30% | 89% | <0.01 |
| No daily access to media | 13% | 2% | <0.01 |
| Health status | |||
| Heart disease/symptoms | 49% | 15% | <0.01 |
| Asthma | 12% | 12% | 0.10 |
| Respiratory disease/symptoms | 30% | 18% | 0.01 |
| High blood pressure | 47% | 37% | 0.093 |
| Kidney disease/symptoms | 33% | 5% | <0.01 |
| Diabetes | 30% | 11% | <0.01 |
| Dementia | 19% | 4% | <0.01 |
| Depression/symptoms | 42% | 13% | <0.01 |
| Liver disease | 15% | 3% | <0.01 |
| Neurological disease | 16% | 6% | <0.01 |
| Cancer | 19% | 4% | <0.01 |
| Taking 5 or more medicines | 56% | 39% | 0.013 |
| Confine to bed | 41% | 0.7% | <0.01 |
| Need assistance for daily activities ADL=1 | 81% | 1.4% | <0.01 |
| Behaviour changes during a heatwave | |||
| Stop activities during the day | 46% | 54% | 0.23 |
| Take extra shower or bath | 14% | 19% | 0.26 |
| Use an air-conditioner | 45% | 85% | <0.01 |
| Go out during a heatwave | 42% | 40% | 0.68 |
| Open windows | 20% | 17% | 0.58 |
*p Value: comparing between cases and controls.
ADL, Activities of Daily Living.