Assessing Healthcare Professionals’' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Climate Change: A Case Study of Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital, South Africa

Abstract

The impacts of climate change on social determinants of health pose a critical threat to public health, with healthcare professionals playing a vital role in advocating for mitigation measures. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare professionals at Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital in Gauteng, South Africa. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, 264 randomly selected healthcare workers were surveyed through a self-administered standardized questionnaire. Findings show that most participants became aware of climate change through television, highlighting the influence of visual media, followed by radio (20.1%). Both knowledge and attitudes significantly influence practices. The pathway from knowledge to perception was positive and significant (β = 0.277; p = 0.002), indicating that increased knowledge enhances climate-related perceptions. Attitudes also significantly impacted practice (β = 0.287; p < 0.001), suggesting that positive attitudes strengthen engagement in mitigation efforts. While most participants recognized the reality of climate change and showed reasonable knowledge and attitudes, inconsistencies were noted, likely due to varied information sources and limited formal climate change education in healthcare curricula. The study emphasizes the need for strengthened climate change education within the health sector to address knowledge gaps and better equip professionals to contribute to mitigation efforts.