Awareness of Climate Change and Its Impact on Reproductive Health

Background and aimClimate change poses a serious threat and crisis to health globally, with reproductive and maternal health falling under the vulnerable group exposed to extreme temperatures, pollution, and climate-related health crises.Student nurses are the future of healthcare professionals; therefore, it is essential for nursing students to address and cope with these emerging environmental health challenges.This study aimed to assess the awareness of climate change and its impact on reproductive health among nursing students at a selected nursing college in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Materials and methodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 182 nursing students from various nursing courses, such as B.Sc. Nursing, GNM Nursing, and M.Sc.Nursing, at the Kalinga Institute of Nursing Sciences (KINS), Bhubaneswar.The data were collected using a semi-structured tool with multiple-choice questions that included various sociodemographic data and assessed knowledge and awareness levels related to climate change and its impact on reproductive health.Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) with descriptive statistics and a chi-square test to determine the associations related to it. ResultsOverall, 48.4% of nursing students had good knowledge, 28.0% had average knowledge, and 23.6% had poor knowledge.Statistical analysis revealed that sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, residence, parental occupation, and education were not significantly associated with knowledge levels (all p>0.05).However, courses such as B.Sc. Nursing fifth and sixth semesters and students who had prior exposure to the topic had the highest rate of good knowledge (70%).Students with prior exposure to the impact of reproductive health due to climate change had good knowledge (52.8%), and the students without any prior knowledge did not have good knowledge (44.1%).The primary sources of information include the internet/social media (42.3%), followed by teachers (20.3%). ConclusionNursing students from Bhubaneswar had a moderate to good level of awareness related to the impact of climate change on reproductive health.Prior exposure to knowledge of climate change and its impact on reproductive health, along with formal educational sources, essentially enhanced and impacted the knowledge level.Also, it is essential to formally integrate this topic into the standard nursing curriculum for preparing the upcoming future healthcare professionals in a better manner.