Perception, attitude and behavior in relation to climate change: A survey among CDC health professionals in Shanxi province, China
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi (China)
- Discipline of Public Health, School of Population Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005 (Australia)
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)
- Shanxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Taiyuan 030001 Shanxi (China)
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206 (China)
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui (China)
Background: A better understanding of public perceptions, attitude and behavior in relation to climate change will provide an important foundation for government's policy-making, service provider's guideline development and the engagement of local communities. The purpose of this study was to assess the perception towards climate change, behavior change, mitigation and adaptation measures issued by the central government among the health professionals in the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in China. Methods: In 2013, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was undertaken among 314 CDC health professionals in various levels of CDC in Shanxi Province, China. Descriptive analyses were performed. Results: More than two thirds of the respondents believed that climate change has happened at both global and local levels, and climate change would lead to adverse impacts to human beings. Most respondents (74.8%) indicated the emission of greenhouse gases was the cause of climate change, however there was a lack of knowledge about greenhouse gases and their sources. Media was the main source from which respondents obtained the information about climate change. A majority of respondents showed that they were willing to change behavior, but their actions were limited. In terms of mitigation and adaptation measures issued by the Chinese Government, respondents' perception showed inconsistency between strategies and relevant actions. Moreover, although the majority of respondents believed some strategies and measures were extremely important to address climate change, they were still concerned about economic development, energy security, and local environmental protection. Conclusion: There are gaps between perceptions and actions towards climate change among these health professionals. Further efforts need to be made to raise the awareness of climate change among health professionals, and to promote relevant actions to address climate change in the context of the proposed policies with local sustainable development. - Highlights: • Global climate change has significant impacts on human wellbeing and health. • Health professionals play a significant role in improving the health of local citizens in China. • Perceptions of CDC staff on climate change are useful for policy making. • There are gaps between perceptions and actions among these health professionals in China. • Further efforts need to raise awareness of climate change and promote relevant actions.
- OSTI ID:
- 22447545
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Research, Vol. 134; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0013-9351
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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