Exploration of Medical Students’ Perception on Climate Change- Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Climate change represents one of the most significant global environmental and public health challenges of the 21st century. The health sector is pivotal in mitigating these impacts; therefore, medical students, as future healthcare providers, must be adequately sensitised to climate change and its direct consequences on human health.

Objectives: This study aims to explore medical students' perceptions of the causes and effects of climate change, evaluate their attitudes toward climate-friendly adaptive behaviours, and identify associations between socio-demographic variables and these perceptions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2024 at Government Medical College, Ongole. Using stratified random sampling, 180 undergraduate students from the first to third years of the MBBS program were selected. Data were collected via a pretested, structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS.

Results: The findings revealed a notable awareness gap: 66.8% of participants had a low perception regarding the causes of climate change, and 53.8% had a low perception of its effects. However, 42.8% reported a high level of perceived climate-friendly adaptive behaviours. Primary perceived causes included deforestation (76.1%), greenhouse gas emissions (56.5%), and industrialisation (50%). Respiratory diseases (61.1%) were identified as the most frequent health effect. Statistically significant associations were observed between gender, year of study, and perception levels.

Conclusion: The study highlights an inadequate perception of climate change among medical students, emphasising the urgent need to integrate climate-health topics into the undergraduate medical curriculum.