Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Health—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- How does the public perceive the overall relevance of climate change?
- How does the public perceive the risks and health consequences associated with climate change?
- What are individual and collective options for action against climate change?
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Study Population
2.3. Survey
- five items on demographic variables;
- four items on overall perceptions of climate change;
- seven items on suspected or perceived risks and health consequences associated with climate change;
- eight items on individual and collective options for action against climate change.
2.4. Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate
2.5. Data Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variable | n | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Sex | Female | 503 | 72.2 |
Male | 190 | 27.3 | |
Diverse | 4 | 0.6 | |
Age group (years) | 11–24 | 17 | 2.7 |
25–39 | 113 | 16.2 | |
40–54 | 209 | 30.0 | |
55–64 | 204 | 29.3 | |
65–74 | 123 | 17.6 | |
>75 | 31 | 4.4 | |
Marital status | Single | 163 | 23.4 |
Married | 408 | 58.5 | |
Widowed | 32 | 4.6 | |
Divorced | 83 | 11.9 | |
Registered partnership | 10 | 1.4 | |
Registered partner deceased | 0 | 0.0 | |
Registered partnership terminated | 1 | 0.1 | |
Highest educational degree | No school/leaving qualification | 2 | 0.3 |
Lower secondary school | 64 | 9.2 | |
Secondary school | 180 | 25.8 | |
Higher secondary school | 222 | 31.9 | |
University | 229 | 32.9 | |
Living area | Rural community (<5000 inhabitants) | 198 | 28.4 |
Small town (5000–20,000 inhabitants) | 194 | 27.8 | |
Medium-sized city (20,000–100,000 inhabitants) | 129 | 18.5 | |
Major city (≥100,000 inhabitants) | 176 | 25.3 |
Variable | Strongly Agree/Very Concerned (%) | Agree/Concerned (%) | Neutral (%) | Disagree/Not Concerned (%) | Strongly Disagree/Not at All Concerned (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
To what extent do you agree with the following statements? | |||||
Human-induced climate change exists * (N = 697) | 62.8 | 22.5 | 9.0 | 2.6 | 3.0 |
Climate change has an impact on human health (N = 668) | 54.2 | 28.6 | 10.8 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
The following groups are affected by climate change: | |||||
Global population (N = 658) | 80.2 | 14.1 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
European population (N = 590) * | 64.6 | 24.1 | 8.5 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
German population (N = 590) | 61.2 | 21.0 | 13.9 | 2.9 | 1.0 |
Myself (N = 594) | 53.2 | 21.0 | 19.4 | 4.9 | 1.5 |
The health of the following groups is at risk due to climate change: | |||||
Global population (N = 633) | 66.0 | 22.7 | 8.4 | 2.1 | 0.8 |
European population (N = 575) * | 47.1 | 33.6 | 15.8 | 3.1 | 0.3 |
German population (N = 576) | 45.0 | 28.8 | 20.3 | 5.4 | 0.5 |
Myself (N = 593) | 39.6 | 27.5 | 22.8 | 8.1 | 2.0 |
To what extent are you concerned about: | |||||
Climate change (N = 666) | 40.7 | 35.0 | 19.1 | 3.6 | 1.6 |
The health consequences of climate change (N = 632) | 31.0 | 38.9 | 23.8 | 5.4 | 0.9 |
To what extent are you concerned about the following risks of climate change? | |||||
More frequent occurrence of extreme weather events (e.g., heat waves, droughts, particulate matter) (N = 664) * | 56.0 | 29.8 | 9.6 | 3.0 | 1.5 |
More frequent occurrence of storms and floods (N = 665) * | 51.6 | 35.2 | 8.6 | 3.3 | 1.4 |
Higher concentration of air pollution (e.g., ozone, particulate matter) (N = 662) * | 36.7 | 34.4 | 20.4 | 6.3 | 2.1 |
Increased contamination of water bodies with pathogens (e.g., blue-green algae) (N = 666) | 33.9 | 33.8 | 21.6 | 8.6 | 2.1 |
Increased exposure of food to pathogens (e.g., salmonella) (N = 658) | 24.8 | 30.4 | 26.3 | 13.5 | 5.0 |
Spread of allergenic plant species (e.g., ragweed) (N = 659) * | 23.8 | 28.7 | 30.3 | 12.4 | 4.7 |
Spread of allergenic animal species (e.g., oak processionary moth) (N = 654) | 28.3 | 30.7 | 27.4 | 10.1 | 3.5 |
Spread of insects carrying pathogens (e.g., dengue fever, Zika infection, West Nile fever, malaria) (N = 664) | 34.3 | 36.4 | 18.2 | 8.4 | 2.6 |
Variable | Yes (%) | No (%) |
---|---|---|
Which factors do you consider relevant to climate change and its health risks? (N = 648) | ||
Thermal stress due to heat | 65.3 | 34.7 |
Extreme weather events (e.g., heat, storms, precipitation) | 87.8 | 12.2 |
Increased occurrence of pollutants (e.g., ozone, particulate matter) | 52.9 | 47.1 |
Increased UV radiation | 56.0 | 44.0 |
Increased and prolonged occurrence of allergens | 33.0 | 67.0 |
Propagation and spread of pathogen-carrying animals | 51.9 | 48.1 |
Problems with the supply and quality of drinking water | 74.2 | 25.8 |
Food hygiene problems | 28.4 | 71.6 |
Degradation of bathing water quality | 24.5 | 75.5 |
Rising sea levels | 66.8 | 33.2 |
Social conflict | 60.6 | 39.4 |
Which health risks do you perceive as connected to climate change? (N = 648) | ||
Accidents and death from extreme weather events (e.g., heat, cold, storms, landslides) | 61.6 | 38.4 |
Skin cancer | 51.7 | 48.3 |
Respiratory diseases | 51.2 | 48.8 |
Allergies | 39.6 | 42.6 |
Infectious diseases | 56.2 | 43.8 |
Psychological trauma | 38.6 | 61.4 |
Other | 9.0 | 91.0 |
Have you already experienced health changes connected to climate change? (N = 627) | ||
Yes | 114 | 18.2 |
No | 340 | 54.2 |
Perhaps | 173 | 27.6 |
If yes, what are those health changes? (N = 114) | ||
Accidents and their consequences | 3 | 2.6 |
Infectious diseases | 20 | 17.5 |
Cancer | 10 | 8.8 |
Malnutrition | 3 | 2.6 |
Psychological trauma | 19 | 16.7 |
Allergies (e.g., new entrants, increases or extensions) | 63 | 55.3 |
Respiratory diseases | 41 | 36.0 |
Other (e.g., allergic reactions, circulation problems) | 40 | 35.1 |
Category (Examples) | Can Personally Contribute (N) | Does Personally Contribute (N) |
---|---|---|
Mobility (less car driving, more bicycling, more electric mobility, greater use of public transportation) | 291 | 252 |
Resource management (thrifty/cautious/sensible use of energy, water and other resources) | 195 | 139 |
Food procurement (preference for regional and seasonal food, preference for food with an organic certification, avoidance of food waste, self-supply) | 179 | 124 |
Nutrition (less consumption of meat and animal products, adoption of a vegetarian and vegan diet, less consumption of processed food) | 160 | 110 |
Handling of waste (package-free shopping, waste separation, recycling, consciousness of microplastics) | 153 | 99 |
Consumption (upcycling, shopping second-hand, buying fewer items/clothes, minimalism, prolonged use of electronics) | 134 | 76 |
Travel (no/less air travel, no/fewer cruises, vacations by train in Europe/regionally) | 97 | 67 |
Use of renewable energy sources (modernisation/renovation of residential properties, use of photovoltaic plants, use of green electricity) | 61 | 89 |
Biodiversity (insect-friendly planting, renaturation, tree planting, no/less use of pesticides) | 50 | 42 |
Involvement and donations (participation in politics/projects, voting, support for non-governmental organisations) | 24 | 17 |
Sensitisation and education (talking about climate change locally, acting as a good example, talking to kids about climate change) | 22 | 10 |
Other (no fireworks, overall emissions savings, adaptation of lifestyle habits) | 36 | 13 |
Category (Examples) | Can City/Council Contribute (n) | Does City/Council Contribute (n) |
---|---|---|
Traffic and mobility (more/better/safer bikeways, expansion of public transportation, car-free cities, more charging stations, car sharing, speed limits, greater traffic control) | 242 | 63 |
Modernisation and extension of renewable energy sources (photovoltaic plants on public buildings, benefits for private reconstruction, standards for building extensions) | 141 | 32 |
Green spaces and planting (more tree planting, less logging, more parks, more community gardens, more conservation areas, renaturation, green roofing) | 139 | 25 |
Sustainable construction (less impervious surfaces, eco-friendly building regulations, fewer parking spaces, regulations for rockeries) | 71 | 11 |
Resource saving (public lighting, public fountains and sprinkler installations, incentives to save resources [e.g., CO2 taxes], bans and bids) | 62 | 12 |
Education, sensitisation, consultation and inclusion (information in schools and kindergartens, public campaigns, more frequent referendums) | 47 | 7 |
Food procurement and the promotion of regional offers (regulations for food prices [e.g., price increases for meat products and price decreases for regional vegetables], regulations to prohibit waste) | 29 | 0 |
Support for projects and initiatives (demonstrations, days of action, litter clean-up events, funding for eco-friendly companies) | 27 | 16 |
Waste and packaging (prohibitions/taxes on plastics, more public waste bins, incentives for waste avoidance, recycling) | 23 | 5 |
Adjustment of climate change and anticipatory action (preparations for heat waves, more shaded places in cities, flood prevention, secure water supplies) | 21 | 3 |
Adaptation of cultural offerings and living spaces (river bathing, playgrounds, drinking water fountains) | 19 | 2 |
Agriculture (reserve areas, promotion of sustainable processes and organic cultivation, improvement of animal welfare) | 11 | 1 |
Adaptation of consumption (promotion of second-hand stores, incentives and legal framework for less consumption, adaptation of food in canteens) | 8 | 2 |
Other (sanctions for non–eco-friendly industries and companies, improvement of air quality, hiring of personnel responsible for climate protection in administration) | 23 | 4 |
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van Baal, K.; Stiel, S.; Schulte, P. Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Health—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 1464. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021464
van Baal K, Stiel S, Schulte P. Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Health—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(2):1464. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021464
Chicago/Turabian Stylevan Baal, Katharina, Stephanie Stiel, and Peter Schulte. 2023. "Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Health—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 2: 1464. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021464
APA Stylevan Baal, K., Stiel, S., & Schulte, P. (2023). Public Perceptions of Climate Change and Health—A Cross-Sectional Survey Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1464. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021464