Rating Evaluation - Impacts of extreme weather (REvIEW): A quantitative measure of the impacts of exposure to extreme weather events

Purpose – Extreme weather event exposure can be associated with a range of direct and indirect health and wellbeing impacts. There is a recognised need to improve the assessment of exposure to extreme weather, beyond mainstream epidemiology techniques and psychopathology, to include the subjective and individual experience of extreme weather events. In response, this study aims to outline the development and initial validation of a quantitative measure, the Rating Evaluation - Impacts of Extreme Weather (REvIEW), designed to assess the differential impacts of extreme weather events.

Design/methodology/approach – The REvIEW is a novel 29-item measure, developed in consultation with an advisory group consisting of multidisciplinary healthcare practitioners, academics and environmental scientists. An Australian mixed-method, cross-sectional study was conducted. The REvIEW assesses the extent of negative impacts from extreme weather events, with each item rated on a 6-point Likert scale.

Findings – The results supported the three domains of the REvIEW (livelihood, wellbeing and connection) and provide preliminary support for the use of this scale to quantitatively assess impacts from exposure to extreme weather events.

Originality/value – The REvIEW offers a novel approach to conceptualising and measuring the differential impacts of extreme weather event exposure, with the potential to inform multidisciplinary research and practice relating to understanding and responding to the impacts of extreme weather events.