As temperatures continue to rise, a four year longitudinal study has taken off to assess how heat affects people in their daily lives. Four locations have been identified for this phase wise study that will be conducted by M S Swaminathan Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Indian Council of Medical Research National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai, ICMR- National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka and Schizophrenia Institute, Chennai are among the collaborating institutes.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chairperson, MSSRF said the aim of the study was to estimate the household and individual level heat exposure, prevalence of heat related illnesses in the community and identify the adaptative mechanisms to cope with heat. “We also want to assess the mental health wellbeing of the community and estimate the driving factors for mental stress,” Dr Swaminathan said at a recently concluded workshop on gender and agri-food systems in Chennai.

There are two major studies documenting how rising temperatures affect people’s health with a focus on gendered impacts and everyday life in Indian cities and towns. “Our first study has been completed and published. The second study is a new, long-term study following families over four years,” Dr Swaminathan said.

The second study will assess how much heat individuals and households are exposed to, how common heat-related illnesses are, and how communities cope with extreme heat. Phase 1 of the study has been estimated at a budget of Rs 12 crore.

“Over the first two years, a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey will cover 6,000 people, interviewing one individual in each selected household during peak summer and off-peak periods, which is 1,500 per site. From the surveyed households, 80 household cohorts per site (320 in total) will be followed closely for two years to track the impact of heat over time,” Dr Mohan Kumar, Director Health and Nutrition, MSSRF said.

Indoor environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity and air quality, will be monitored in each household using temperature loggers. At the individual level, body temperature and other vital signs will be continuously tracked using smartwatches apart from checking key clinical measurements such as blood sugar, blood pressure, height and weight. “To understand stress levels, salivary cortisol will be measured as a biomarker among study participants,” he added.

The locations identified for this study include Perungudi (near Taramani) in Chengalpattu district, Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu, and in Karnataka, Sirwar in Raichur district and Challakere in Chitradurga district.