Outdoor heat stress at preschools during an extreme summer in Gothenburg, Sweden-Preschool teachers’ experiences contextualized by radiation modelling.

The study investigates the consequences of exposure to excessive heat and the experience of stress as a result of the heat in kindergartens in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the heat wave in the summer of 2018.

The results showed that heat stress occurs at Gothenburg kindergartens. Kindergartens have difficulties in ensuring children's well-being as a consequence of the heat. Many kindergartens need more shade, preferably from trees, to provide healthy and safe environments for kindergarten children. The study also highlights the need for more research on how weather and outdoor environments affect children's activity and well-being.

The researchers used a mixed-methods approach consisting of interviews with kindergarten teachers and modelling of outdoor thermal conditions, using average radiation temperature as an indicator of heat stress, the occurrence of heat stress in Gothenburg's kindergartens in summer 2018 and its effects. 440 kindergartens in Gothenburg are included in the study.

Bäcklin, O., Lindberg, F., Thorsson, S., Rayner, D., & Wallenberg, N. (2021). “Outdoor heat stress at preschools during an extreme summer in Gothenburg, Sweden-Preschool teachers’ experiences contextualized by radiation modelling”. Sustainable Cities and Society, 75:103324.