Temperatures in Yogyakarta, Indonesia can reach a high of 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) from August to October, and humidity can make it feel even hotter. However, in the past year, days have been hotter, reaching 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). Only one degree hotter, but according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the ideal maximum temperature in urban areas should be between 87.8 to 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit (31 and 34 degrees Celsius). So in Yogyakarta, that one degree really makes a difference, and residents in this area are facing these higher temperatures due to climate change.
A study published in February 2026 in the journal, Scientific Reports found that most adolescents know that dehydration and health risks can occur, but only a few change their behavior to protect themselves. Seven researchers from Gadjah Mada University and the National University of Singapore surveyed 439 adolescents and young adults in Yogyakarta to understand how extreme outdoor heat affects their physical and mental health. They collected data in the morning, midday, and the afternoon from October to November 2024. According to Climate Central, young people today experience more extreme heat compared to older generations. Dr. Lindsey Burghardt of the Harvard Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment, who is also a pediatrician, said adolescence is a period of ongoing development. “They’re still developing, so they don’t have the best judgement,” she said. “Issues like heat are deeply personal and deeply local.”
An average of 546,000 people died globally between 2012 and 2021 from heat-related causes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Adolescents, especially, are affected by the extreme outdoor heat, as it’s one of the clearest effects of climate change. Most research has focused on adults and the elderly. Less attention has been paid to adolescents, especially in rapidly growing cities in Southeast Asia like Yogyakarta. Because young people spend more time outdoors engaging in physical activity, they’re more vulnerable to heat-related conditions. Margaret Wang, co-founder of the climate education nonprofit SubjectToClimate, said many adolescents are already aware of climate risks. Awareness can sometimes motivate engagement, but the conversation needs to extend beyond the individual. “We need policies to change,” she said. “We need to elect the right people.”
Participants included adolescents—men and women—between the ages of 19 and 24, living in Yogyakarta and doing outdoor activities. Nearly half of them, about 49.5 percent, believed they were at high risk of heat- related health problems when outside on hot days. Many also reported experiencing physical or mental symptoms linked to heat exposure. Common physical symptoms included excessive sweating, fatigue and dehydration. Mental symptoms included emotional, sleep disorder, and feeling stress. Among the strategies researchers measured, the most common were wearing sunscreen and bringing water outside, each reported just over 60 percent of participants. Other measures like avoiding caffeine and wearing sunglasses were far less common. On average, participants reported using fewer than four of the eleven protective behaviors included in the study. Across participants, the strongest predictor of action was self-regulation “remembering,” which means they were aware of the protective measures but often forgot. And most of the ones that remembered were young women, showing that they may perceive climate and environmental factors as more severe and engaging in protective behaviors as a result.
A unique quality of this study is its focus on adolescents’ physical and mental health. Few studies have looked at this, and those that have don’t discuss cause-and-effect. Currently, adolescents are underrepresented in climate change literature, so this study helps bridge that gap. To Dr. Jeremy S. Hoffman of Groundwork USA, heat is linked to adolescent health not only through but also before they’re even born. “As the child grows up, extreme heat exposure is linked to things like heat illness,” he said. “There’s just more emergency department visits across the board for all causes, and then we see more acute [issues] related to things like asthma.” But every place is different, says Shweta Arya of the American Public Health Association. She explained that heat exposure isn’t only an individual issue but also shaped by the environments people live in. She explained that urban heat is influenced by infrastructure including how cities are built. “There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but greenspace has benefits across multiple domains,” she said.
The authors note that the study captures one city (Yogyakarta) at one point in time, and its findings may not apply to adolescents in other regions or to other age groups. The study also doesn’t include social symptoms and aspects, a limiting factor since “health” refers to all three—physical, mental, and social well-being.
In Yogyakarta, as climate change intensifies extreme heat, the challenge isn’t convincing adolescents that it’s dangerous but ensuring they take the correct protective measures.
This was originally created as part of a class assignment for Reporting at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Destiny Rae Jones 
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