Baumbusch Jennifer, Fong Vanessa, Lee Esther, Bandara Nilanga Aki, Khan Koushambhi Basu
School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Complex Care, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Child Care Health Dev. 2025 Mar;51(2):e70068. doi: 10.1111/cch.70068.
Climate change is increasingly an urgent concern because of the catastrophic and irreversible impacts on the planet and society as a whole. In recent years, there have also been more frequent and extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires across the globe. Although families of children with medical complexity may be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather events, few studies exist that address this topic.
Drawing upon a subset of data from two qualitative studies, we explored the experiences of families during climate-related weather events in British Columbia, Canada. During the summer and fall of 2021, this area experienced a series of extreme weather events (e.g., heat dome, wildfires and atmospheric rivers causing flooding) in rapid succession. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 parents between July 2021 and April 2022. Descriptive content analysis was used for data analysis.
Participants described their lived experiences during the heat dome, wildfires and flooding of 2021. Across all of the weather events, children with medical complexity experienced social isolation and, for some, increased anxiety. Participants also shared adaptive measures, or strategies, they used during these events. In the absence of government supports, families drew upon their informal peer networks in some situations.
The unique needs of children with medical complexity are not accounted for in existing government policies and supports related to climate-related weather events. Families are self-reliant and draw upon their informal peer network for supports. There is an urgent need for inclusive programs and supports across emergency management, health, education and social care to address the needs of this group.
气候变化日益成为一个紧迫问题，因为它对整个地球和社会有着灾难性且不可逆转的影响。近年来，全球范围内还出现了更为频繁和极端的天气事件，如热浪、干旱、洪水和野火。尽管患有复杂疾病的儿童家庭可能特别容易受到极端天气事件的影响，但针对这一主题的研究却很少。
利用两项定性研究的部分数据，我们探讨了加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省家庭在与气候相关的天气事件中的经历。在2021年夏秋两季，该地区接连经历了一系列极端天气事件（如热穹顶、野火和导致洪水的大气河流）。2021年7月至2022年4月期间，对30位家长进行了半结构化访谈。采用描述性内容分析法进行数据分析。
参与者描述了他们在2021年热穹顶、野火和洪灾期间的生活经历。在所有天气事件中，患有复杂疾病的儿童都经历了社会隔离，对一些孩子来说，焦虑感也有所增加。参与者还分享了他们在这些事件中采取的适应性措施或策略。在缺乏政府支持的情况下，家庭在某些情况下依靠他们的非正式同伴网络。
现有政府政策和与气候相关天气事件的支持措施未考虑到患有复杂疾病儿童的独特需求。家庭自力更生，并依靠他们的非正式同伴网络获得支持。迫切需要在应急管理、卫生、教育和社会护理等领域开展包容性项目和提供支持，以满足这一群体的需求。
