Sports and climate change—climate-related health risks in German sport

Abstract

Background: Many athletes are particularly affected by climate-related health risks. Against the background of ongoing climate change, preventive measures to protect this group of people are of significant relevance in Germany. This article provides an overview of the extent to which the top German sports associations inform amateur and professional athletes about the health effects of climate change on their central websites. Materials and methods: Within the framework of a netnographic analysis, the websites of the 66 top associations organized in the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) were analyzed using keyword searches. The contents were classified along the differentiation proposed by the Robert Koch Institute into direct and indirect consequences of climate change. A double-blind search was performed in week 46/2020. Results: Only a few of the top associations organized in the DOSB address sport-specific health risks of climate change on their websites. If they do so, the associations usually deal with these risks marginally. Only one in six top associations provides information on heat waves, and one in five on UV exposure. One in ten associations discusses extreme weather events or infection risks. Risks from ozone and allergens are addressed even less frequently. Despite the relevance for indoor sports, no pertinent information can be found on the websites of the top associations concerned. Conclusion: Climate change will continue to gain importance for the large population of athletes as well as for the respective sports organizations. The nationwide web presence of the top associations would be a suitable place for targeting group-specific health information.