Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP Survey) Regarding Climate Change in Tbilisi State Medical University Students

Abstract

Introduction. Climate change is impacting human lives and health in a variety of ways. It threatens the essential ingredients of good health – clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply and safe shelter – and has the potential to undermine decades of progress in global health. Aim. The aim of the work was to study knowledge, attitude and practice regarding climate change in the students of the Tbilisi State Medical University. Materials and Methods. The study was cross-sectional study. Sampling frame consisted of students of the Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU). Random cluster sampling was used and total number of participants was 104 (female 62.5%, male 37.5%. 4th year of the Faculty of Medicine - 40 (38.5%), 5th year of the Faculty of Medicine - 19 (18.3%), 6th year of the faculty of Medicine - 23 (22.1%), 3rd year of the faculty of Public Health (and Management) - 3 (2.9%), Faculty of Public Health (and Management) 4th year - 19 (19.3%).
The mean age was 22.38 (SD=1.23; range 20-26). A questionnaire containing 31 questions was developed in Georgian. 3 questions were about demographic data, 8 - knowledge, 10 - attitude, 10 - practical habits. The questionnaire was approved in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. At the beginning of the questionnaire, the purpose of the study was explained, the anonymity of the answers was stated. Survey was conducted electronically. The questionnaire was placed on the Google Forms platform. It was explained to the students that the survey was voluntary
and anonymous. The results were analysed in Stata. Results. Based on the knowledge component, most students do not have complete information about climate change and the diseases it cause. Based on attitude component, 90.4% of respondents agree with the statement “Human activity is the main driving force behind global warming and climate change” and 73.1% of respondents agree with the statement “I prefer to use products made from bio-safe materials, even if their price is much higher than the price of a product made from biodegradable materials.” Only 1% of
respondents receive information about climate change from television. Since the Internet and social networks are especially popular among young people today, the percentage of information received from television is low. 37.5% of the respondents often replace polyethylene bags with bags made of bio-safe materials. Discussion and Conclusion. The results are in line with
the international findings, but still not satisfactory. Regarding to the information mentioned above, we have the recommended statements: Providing additional knowledge to students
regarding climate change and its risks, Rational use of electricity and Limiting the use of products made of plastic and biodegradable materials.