Investigating the Relationship Between Climate Change and Health: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Climate change (CC) stands out as a significant menace to human health in the 21st century. The escalation of global surface temperatures and the anticipated surge in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events pose imminent threats. Despite the global gravity of this issue, research specific to the Pakistani context is scarce. Therefore, the current study endeavors to examine the relationship between climate change and its impact on human health in the context of Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 167 graduate and postgraduate students at University of Engineering Technology (UET) Lahore, Pakistan from 10 November to 10 December 2023. A probability- simple random technique was used to collect study participants. Data was gathered using questionnaire-based approach from the respondents. The data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 26. In this study, a total of 167 participants were enrolled. Of them, 52.7% were male and 47.3% were female. Among the respondents, (48.5%) strongly agreed that CC is occurring in Pakistan and has a notable impact on human health (47.3%), and 81.4% strongly supported the idea that human activities are the primary cause of CC. Moreover, 49.1% stating that CC leads to air pollution, resulting in severe health consequences such as asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and cardiovascular disease. Climate change is noticeably widespread in Pakistan, impacting human health and giving rise to serious diseases. Despite the severity of its consequences on human health, there is a notable lack of attention to this issue in Pakistan. It is crucial to address this gap by raising awareness among students.