Preparedness, knowledge, and perception of nursing students about climate change and its impact on human health in India

doi:10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100116

Abstract

Abstract:

Higher education plays an important role in all aspects of sustainability. Infusing climate change and sustainability into the curriculum is important to prepare future health-care professionals for climate change and sustainability actions to build resilient health systems. In this study, we evaluated the preparedness, knowledge, and perception regarding climate change and its impact on human health among Indian nursing students. A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted among 644 undergraduate nursing students studying in three institutes in the southern, northern, and western parts of India. We used a structured online questionnaire with established validity and reliability to collect data. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 software. The results showed that more than half of the students reported experiencing excessive increase (362; 56.2%) and decrease (374; 58.1%) in temperature in recent years. Though more than three quarters of the students (494; 76.7%) accepted the general truth that climate change is mainly caused by human activities, only less than half of the students (309; 48.0%) perceived the impact of climate change to be high. Three quarters of the students (483; 75.0%) had a high level of knowledge regarding climate change. The students who had a high level of knowledge about climate change exerted a high perceived impact of climate change (χ²=75.47; P<0.01). More than half of the students (50.9%) felt that they needed information about climate change to be included in the nursing curriculum, and only one sixth of the students (16.1%) were highly confident about engaging in climate change-related conversation with patients. Most of the students who participated in the study had basic knowledge about climate change and its impact on human health. However, there is an observed gap between knowledge and their preparedness and confidence to engage in climate change actions. Hence, we propose to strengthen the nursing curriculum by integrating various curricular and co-curricular activities related to climate change, so that future nurses are empowered to become climate change advocates.

Key words: Climate change, Curriculum, Nursing students, Human health, India

Ramya Kundayi RAVI, Priya BABY, Nidhin ELIAS, Jisa George THOMAS, Kathyayani Bidadi VEERABHADRAIAH, Bharat PAREEK. Preparedness, knowledge, and perception of nursing students about climate change and its impact on human health in India[J]. Regional Sustainability, 2024, 5(1): 100116.

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References 33

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Variable	Category	Frequency	Percentage (%)
Age	<20 years old	361	56.1
Age	≥20 years old	283	43.9
Gender	Male	112	17.4
Gender	Female	532	82.6
Grade	Freshman	281	43.6
	Sophomore	164	25.5
	Junior	111	17.2
	Senior	88	13.7
Prior involvement in climate change-related activities	Yes	173	26.9
Prior involvement in climate change-related activities	No	471	73.1
Marital status	Yes	24	3.7
Marital status	No	620	96.3
Sources of information regarding climate change^*	Friend	335	52.0
	Family	305	47.4
	Curriculum	184	28.6
	Social media	513	79.7
	Conference	133	20.7
Recent experiences in climate change-related events^*	Excessive increase in temperature	362	56.2
	Excessive decrease in temperature	374	58.1
	Change of precipitation pattern	186	28.9
	Cyclone or tidal wave	109	16.9
	Frequent flood	114	17.7
	Water logging	98	15.2

Item		Frequency of correct response	Percentage of correct response (%)
General aspect	Climate change is mainly caused by human activities.	494	76.7
	The global CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere has increased during the past 250 years.	423	65.7
	The last century’s global increase in the temperature was the largest during the past 1000 years.	332	51.6
	Today’s global CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is the highest for 650,000 years.	295	45.8
Impacts of climate change on human health	Air quality-related illness	487	75.6
	Heat-related illness	446	69.3
	Cold-related illness	501	77.8
	Flooding-related health risks	425	66.0
	Illnesses related with the shortage of water supply	450	69.9
	Vector-borne infectious diseases	416	64.6
	Water-borne infectious diseases	450	69.9
	Food-borne diseases	501	77.8
	Mental health conditions	337	52.3
	Malnutrition	348	54.0

Statement		Frequency
Statement		Strongly agree	Agree	Neutral	Strongly disagree	Disagree
General aspect	Climate change is controllable.	40±6.2	278±43.2	45±7.0	189±29.3	92±14.3
	Overall climate change is bad.	79±12.3	223±34.6	66±10.2	205±31.8	71±11.0
	Climate change is bad for human health.	111±17.2	231±35.9	61±9.5	190±29.5	51±7.9
	In the next 20 years, the health-related impact of climate change will be serious in my local community.	43±6.7	273±42.4	72±11.2	206±32.0	50±7.8
	In the next 20 years, the health-related impact of climate change would be serious in India.	84±13.0	283±43.9	59±9.2	155±24.1	63±9.8
	In the next 20 years, the health-related impact of climate change would be serious globally.	120±18.6	271±42.1	50±7.8	153±23.8	50±7.8
Impacts of climate change on human health	Air quality related illness	111±17.2	294±45.7	26±4.0	122±18.9	91±14.1
	Heat-related illness	95±14.8	318±49.4	24±3.7	152±23.6	55±8.5
	Cold-related events	97±15.1	323±15.2	31±4.8	137±21.3	56±8.7
	Flooding-related health risks	85±13.2	320±49.7	45±7.0	130±20.2	64±9.9
	Illnesses related with the shortage of water supply	103±16.0	296±46.0	42±6.5	146±22.7	57±8.9
	Vector-borne infectious diseases	94±14.6	308±47.8	36±5.6	148±23.0	58±9.0
	Water-borne infectious diseases	92±14.3	309±48.0	35±5.4	158±24.5	50±7.8
	Food-borne diseases	71±11.0	327±50.8	46±7.1	139±21.6	61±9.5
	Mental health conditions	75±11.6	292±45.3	59±9.2	165±25.6	53±8.2
	Malnutrition	69±10.7	290±45.0	67±10.4	152±23.6	66±10.2

Variable	Category		Knowledge about climate change				Perception about climate change
Variable	Category		High (frequency)	Low (frequency)	χ²	P-value	High (frequency)	Moderate (frequency)	Low (frequency)	χ²	P-value
Age	<20 years old		275	86	0.43	0.46	182	84	95	2.09	0.35
Age	≥20 years old		208	75	0.43	0.46	127	70	86	2.09	0.35
Gender	Male		76	36	3.68	0.07	45	30	37	3.36	0.18
Gender	Female		407	125	3.68	0.07	264	144	124	3.36	0.18
Grade	Freshman		201	80	7.23	0.06	142	69	70	23.08	<0.01
	Sophomore		130	34			76	31	57
	Junior		79	32			39	30	42
	Senior		73	15			52	24	12
Prior involvement in climate change-related activities	Yes		140	33	4.42	0.04	86	36	51	6.07	0.04
Prior involvement in climate change-related activities	No		343	128	4.42	0.04	200	118	153	6.07	0.04
Marital status	Yes		16	8	0.92	0.32	8	2	8	2.28	0.31
Marital status	No		467	153	0.92	0.32	301	146	173	2.28	0.31
Sources of information regarding climate change	Friend	Yes	240	69	2.25	0.14	143	81	85	1.74	0.41
	Friend	No	243	92	2.25	0.14	166	73	96	1.74	0.41
	Family	Yes	231	74	0.16	0.71	146	92	98	5.78	0.06
	Family	No	252	87	0.16	0.71	160	62	83	5.78	0.06
	Curriculum	Yes	148	36	4.05	0.04	97	37	50	2.81	0.24
	Curriculum	No	335	125	4.05	0.04	212	117	131	2.81	0.24
	Social media	Yes	400	113	11.88	<0.01	270	123	120	31.30	<0.01
	Social media	No	83	48	11.88	<0.01	39	31	61	31.30	<0.01
	Conference	Yes	102	31	0.25	0.65	57	35	41	1.71	0.41
	Conference	No	381	130	0.25	0.65	252	119	140	1.71	0.41
Recent experiences in climate change-related events	Excessive increase in temperature	Yes	300	62	27.32	<0.01	214	72	76	41.83	<0.01
	Excessive increase in temperature	No	183	99	27.32	<0.01	95	82	105	41.83	<0.01
	Excessive decrease in temperature	Yes	292	82	4.49	0.04	189	75	110	7.31	0.02
	Excessive decrease in temperature	No	191	79	4.49	0.04	120	79	71	7.31	0.02
	Change of precipitation pattern	Yes	142	44	0.25	0.68	100	38	48	3.64	0.16
	Change of precipitation pattern	No	341	117	0.25	0.68	209	116	133	3.64	0.16
	Cyclone or tidal wave	Yes	90	19	4.00	0.05	52	23	34	0.88	0.64
	Cyclone or tidal wave	No	393	141	4.00	0.05	257	131	147	0.88	0.64
	Frequent flood	Yes	87	27	0.12	0.81	72	13	29	16.05	<0.01
	Frequent flood	No	396	134	0.12	0.81	237	141	152	16.05	<0.01
	Water logging	Yes	76	22	0.40	0.61	59	12	27	10.19	0.06
	Water logging	No	407	139	0.40	0.61	250	142	154	10.19	0.06

Characteristic		Preparedness to engage in climate change-related conversations with patients (frequency)			χ²	P-value
Characteristic		High	Neutral	Low	χ²	P-value
Age	≥20 years old	120	45	118	3.48	0.18
Age	<20 years old	132	52	177	3.48	0.18
Gender	Male	51	8	53	7.13	0.02
Gender	Female	201	89	242	7.13	0.02
Prior involvement in climate change-related activities	Yes	73	24	76	0.97	0.61
Prior involvement in climate change-related activities	No	173	79	219	0.97	0.61
Perceived impact of climate change	Low	82	42	185	109.90	<0.01
	Moderate	44	36	74
	High	126	19	36
Knowledge about climate change	High	163	27	253	34.35	<0.01
Knowledge about climate change	Low	89	30	42	34.35	<0.01