A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF PERCEPTION AND KNOWLEDGE OF ASSOCIATION OF OUTBREAK OF INFECTIONS AND CLIMATE CHANGE AMONG PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE STUDENTS

Abstract

Background: Climate change has been increasingly linked to the epidemiology of infectious diseases, altering transmission dynamics and expanding the geographical distribution of vector-borne and waterborne illnesses. The growing impact of climate variability on public health necessitates an understanding of how future healthcare professionals perceive and comprehend this relationship. Evaluating knowledge gaps among medical and public health students is critical for strengthening academic curricula and public health interventions aimed at mitigating climate-related disease outbreaks.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the perception and knowledge of the association between climate change and infectious disease outbreaks among public health and medical students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Pakistan between December 1, 2023, and December 1, 2024, following institutional approval. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants via multiple digital communication platforms. Eligible participants included medical students (MBBS and BDS) and public health students (MPhil, MPH, MPHE, and MSPH) who voluntarily participated in the study. A web-based tool, SoGoSurvey, was utilized for data collection, and all statistical analyses were performed using RStudio version 1.1.447 and SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics were computed for demographic variables, and independent t-tests were applied to compare knowledge scores between medical and public health students.

Results: A total of 358 participants were included, comprising 155 (43.2%) public health students and 203 (56.7%) medical students. The sample consisted of 240 (67.1%) females and 118 (32.9%) males. Provincial representation included Punjab (50.8%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (25.4%), Sindh (17.3%), and Baluchistan (6.5%). Among public health students, 85% reported being well-informed about climate change and infectious diseases, compared to 75% of medical students. Regarding the anticipated effects of climate change, 92% of public health students and 89.1% of medical students believed that infectious disease outbreaks would increase due to climate variations. The mean knowledge score for medical students was 13.1 (95% CI: 12.5–13.8), significantly higher than that of public health students at 10.9 (95% CI: 10.3–11.5) (p < 0.000). There was no statistically significant variation across provincial boundaries in understanding the association between climate change and infectious disease outbreaks (p = 0.2781).

Conclusion: Medical students demonstrated a stronger understanding of infectious diseases, whereas public health students exhibited a greater awareness of the relationship between climate change and infectious disease outbreaks. These findings emphasize the need for interdisciplinary educational interventions to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance future healthcare professionals' preparedness for climate-related health challenges.