World health matters – Australia: South Australia has higher rate of hypothermia deaths than Sweden

by Gary Finnegan: A startling new study from the University of Adelaide shows that the state of South Australia has a higher rate of deaths from extreme cold than Sweden does.

Sweden’s northern-European location and its long, cold winters might suggest that its citizens are at greater risk of hypothermia but researchers say the Swedes have adapted well to its sometimes-inhospitable climate.

In contrast, social isolation and lack of housing insulation put people in Australia at risk of freezing to death in winter.

The study from the University’s School of Medical Sciences, which will be published later this year in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, looked at forensic cases of hypothermia deaths from 2006-2011 in both South Australia and Sweden.

The results show that South Australia had a rate of 3.9 deaths for every 100,000 people, compared with Sweden’s 3.3 deaths per 100,000. In total, there were 62 fatal cases of hypothermia in South Australia and 296 cases in Sweden over the six-year period.

“Despite considerable demographic, geographic and climate differences, the death rate from hypothermia was slightly higher in South Australia than in Sweden, which is a very surprising result,” says Professor Roger Byard, who led the project.

Hypothermia is defined as a decrease in core body temperature below 35°C, with fatal hypothermia occurring at body temperatures of 26°C to 29°C.

“Most of the deaths from hypothermia in South Australia involved elderly women indoors who were living alone, often with multiple underlying illnesses and limited contact with the outside world. Many of them had been dead for at least a day before they were discovered,” Professor Byard says.

This is in contrast with the majority of hypothermia deaths in Sweden, which usually occur outdoors and involve middle-aged males, commonly under the influence of alcohol. These bodies are often uncovered from snow drifts.

“The fact that South Australia has a much warmer climate than Sweden, with higher average temperatures and milder winters, does not stop people from being at risk of death from hypothermia. Elderly, socially isolated people are at greatest risk in this state,” Professor Byard says.

Fiona Bright, a member of the research team poor heating and insulation, and lack of energy efficiency, are playing a role in the higher death rate in Australia. “For example, only 2.6% of Australian homes have double-glazed windows compared with 100% of homes in Finland and Sweden,” she says