Abstract
The impacts of climate change on various social determinants of health pose a critical threat to public health, with healthcare professionals playing a vital role in advocating for mitigation measures. However, concerns remain about the extent of healthcare professionals' knowledge and awareness regarding the health impacts of climate change. The study aims to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare professionals at Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital (BMDH) in Gauteng, South Africa, concerning climate change. The goal is to gain insights into their understanding of climate change and its implications for public health within their local context. A quantitative, cross-sectional design surveyed 264 healthcare professionals—73.5% nurses, 11.4% clinical support staff, 5.7% pharmacists, 8.7% doctors, and 0.8% dentists using a standardised self-administered questionnaire.
The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 29.0 was used for data analysis, incorporating descriptive statistics such as tables and graphs, alongside inferential statistics such as chi-square, regression and ANOVA. The findings revealed that both knowledge and attitudes towards climate change significantly influence the practices of healthcare professionals. The path from knowledge to perception is positive and significant (β = 0.277; p = 0.002), indicating that as healthcare professionals' knowledge of climate change increases, their engagement in climate change-related perceptions also increases, and vice versa. The significant impact of attitudes on practice suggests that fostering positive attitudes towards climate change among healthcare professionals can enhance their engagement in mitigation efforts (β = 0.287; p < 0.001). The results revealed a consensus on the reality of climate change, with most participants demonstrating reasonable knowledge and positive attitudes. However, inconsistencies in understanding were observed, likely due to varied information sources and a lack of formal climate change education in healthcare curricula.
The study underscores the need for enhanced climate change education within the healthcare sector to bridge knowledge gaps and empower professionals to effectively contribute to mitigation efforts.