GROW- Generating health resilience of young people in cities under climate and environmental change

Start date: 01/2026

End date: 12/2027
Funding: Seed-Funding der Universität Augsburg
Project responsibility on site: Prof. Dr. Elke Hertig,  M.Sc. Michael Johler, Dr. Irena Kaspar-Ott, M.Sc. Paul Gäbel

GROW wants to analyse health resilience of young (10-to-24-year-old) people living in central European urban areas. Young people in our cities are confronted with an anthropogenically shaped environment which is often limited to provide adequate resources for their health and well-being. The relationships between the urban physical environment and young people’s health are strongly dependent on personal and social modifiers. Not only pathogenic factors are considered, but also the salutogenic factors which promote health. GROW targets four main health resilience indicators: (1) physical activity, gross motor skills, obesity and weight, (2) mental health and wellbeing, (3) cognitive regulation and attention, and (4) risk perception and behaviour. 

Concept of GROW. Outer green circle: urban climate and environmental pathogenic and salutogenic factors impacting on young people’s health. Dark green middle circle: health resilience indicators comprising important and long-term affecting aspects of young people’s health. Blue inner circle: personal and social modifiers, strongly shaping and governing the environment-health relationships. 

Project responsibility:

Prof. Dr. Elke Hertig, Chair for Regional Climate Change and Health, full professor

Prof. Dr. Carmen Anthonj, Associate Professor and Chair of Water, Health and Decisions, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

Prof. Dr. Fabian Fahlbusch, Chair for Neonatalogy and Pediatric Intensive Care, full professor

Prof. Dr. Alkomiet Hasan, Chair for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, full professor

Prof. Dr. Markus Keck, Chair for Urban Climate Resilience, full professor

Prof. Dr. Miriam Kunz, Chair for Medical Psychology and Sociology, full professor

Prof. Dr. Evelyn Lamy, Professorship for Research of Environment-related Mechanisms of Action on Health (Exposome Research), professor