Abstract:
Temperatures in Africa are expected to increase by the end of the century. Heat-related
health impacts and perceived health symptoms are potentially a problem, especially in public schools
with limited resources. Students (n = 252) aged ~14–18 years from eight high schools completed an
hourly heat-health symptom log over 5 days. Data loggers measured indoor classroom temperatures.
A high proportion of students felt tired (97.2%), had low concentration (96.8%) and felt sleepy (94.1%)
during at least one hour on any day. There were statistically significant correlations, when controlling
for school cluster effect and time of day, between indoor temperatures ¥32 C and students who felt
tired and found it hard to breathe. Consistently higher indoor classroom temperatures were observed
in classrooms constructed of prefabricated asbestos sheeting with corrugated iron roof and converted
shipping container compared to brick classrooms. Longitudinal studies in multiple seasons and
different classroom building types are needed.
