The latest study carried out by Reveal Marketing Research revealed that 55% of Romanians experienced symptoms of sunstroke (headaches, nausea, dizziness) during the heat wave, women being affected to a greater extent (60%) compared to men (50%). Also, 16% of respondents stated that they required medical assistance over time because of this.
To avoid the negative effects of high temperatures, 71% of Romanians choose to stay indoors during peak hours, 67% wear loose and light-colored clothes, 62% consume a lot of liquids, while only 31% of them use sunscreen.
As for other ways to deal with hot days, the study data show that 58% of Romanians constantly use fans or air conditioners to cool off, this practice being more common in urban areas (68%) than in rural areas rural (42%).
Moreover, 8 out of 10 Romanians prefer to stay in the shade when they are outside on hot days, thus demonstrating an increased awareness of the importance of protection against direct exposure to the sun.
71% feel more irritable or nervous during this time
The data of the study also highlight the significant impact that high temperatures have on the emotional state and mental well-being of Romanians. Thus, 48% of Romanians declare that they constantly feel more irritable or nervous on hot days, while 23% notice this change in mood occasionally.
At the same time, 46% of Romanians occasionally feel tired or exhausted on very hot days, and 29% experience these conditions very often. Women (41% compared to 16% of men) and young people aged 25-34 (42%) are more likely to feel tired or exhausted very often, this significant difference can be attributed to biological factors and more active lifestyles, which may make these segments of the population more sensitive to the effects of heat stress.
76% of Romanians feel that productivity at work decreases on days with high temperatures
Half of the Romanians (51%) say that their productivity at work drops constantly on hot days, while 25% notice this trend occasionally, and 24% never.
Depending on the gender, it is observed that men (27%) are never affected by the heat wave in their professional sphere to a greater extent than women (22%), this difference highlighting a greater adaptability in heat stress situations in the case of men.
More than a third of Romanians (37%) consider it moderately difficult for them to concentrate on daily tasks at work, while 33% find this aspect slightly difficult.
Also, 73% of respondents noticed that they need more breaks during working hours on hot days, this trend being pronounced among young people between the ages of 25 and 34 (82%).
Regarding working conditions, 45% of Romanians mention that their employers have implemented special measures to manage heatwave at work, while 35% indicate that their employers have not taken such measures.
As for the specific measures that Romanians would like implemented at the workplace to improve comfort during heatwave periods, the top preferences include providing water for employees (57%), improving ventilation or air conditioning (52%), the ability to work from home (49%), flexibility in working hours (38%) and the ability to take more breaks (36%).
Moreover, 45% of Romanians state that the hot days moderately affect their leisure activities (such as household activities and physical exercises), while 23% consider that they greatly affect their personal activities.
How to keep hydration constant during hot periods?
Most Romanians keep their hydration at a constant level during hot periods, drinking water every hour (43%) or every 2-3 hours (31%)
Regarding eating habits during hot periods, we notice that 68% of Romanians declare that they avoid heavy food in these conditions of thermal discomfort, women show greater caution in this regard (70% compared to 65% in the case of men).
As for food preferences during hot periods, Romanians mainly opt for fruits and vegetables (82%), cooked food (41%) and dairy products (40%).
At a closer look, we notice that mature people over 55 stand out by consuming cooked food more frequently (46%). In terms of drinks, the most popular are water (86%), lemonade (45%), natural juices (30%) and carbonated drinks (29%).
Analyzing the frequency of water consumption by Romanians, most drink water every hour (47%), while 31% drink water every 2-3 hours, and 21% only when they feel thirsty.