Description
Background: The eco-climatic crisis has been defined by the WHO as the “single biggest health threat facing humanity”, influencing both the emergence of zoonoses and the spread of vector-borne and water-borne diseases. The aim of this survey was to explore knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) about climate change and infectious diseases among young Italian doctors and medical students.
Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter survey was conducted from November 2022 to June 2023, by administering an anonymous questionnaire to Italian doctors and students of medicine. Endpoint of the study was KAP score on eco-climatic crisis (0-20 points). Association between variables and KAP score was assessed by Kruskal-Wallis’ or Spearman’s test, as appropriate, and significant variables were included into ordinal regression model. Curricula of all Italian Medical Universities were reviewed to screen for modules on climate change.
Results. A total of 605 medical doctors and students living in 19 Italian regions were included in the study. Median age [Q1-Q3] was 27.6 [24.1-31.3] and females were 352 (58.2%) (Table 1). As shown in Figure 1, 87.4% (n=529) of the respondents agreed that a deeper understanding of the interplay between climate change and infectious diseases could improve their clinical practice, but only 16.4% (n=99) could identify Influenza as a zoonosis (Figure 2), 42.5% (n=257) didn’t know the temperature limits set by the Paris Agreements and 15.4% (n=93) believed that human activities have only a marginal role. 87.6% (n= 530) of the respondents declared to be worried that climate change will lead to an increase in the number of epidemics. At multivariable ordinal regression (Table 1), high levels of eco-anxiety (OR 1.9, p=0.003) and low trust in government action (0.51, p=0.013) were associated with a higher KAP score. Only one Italian medical school offered an educational module on climate change.
Conclusions. Young Italian doctors and medical students are concerned about the climate crisis but show poor knowledge of these topics. The Italian academic system should urgently respond to this need.
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