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ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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Year : 2014 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 6 | Page : 714-716 |
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A study of awareness and lifestyle related practices regarding global warming among the teaching staff of a medical college in Navi Mumbai
Aasawari N Nalgundwar, Deepa H Velankar, Sumedha M Joshi, Madhavi J Mankar, Violet N Pinto
Department of Community Medicine, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Date of Web Publication | 18-Nov-2014 |
Correspondence Address: Aasawari N Nalgundwar Department of Community Medicine, 4th Floor, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Sector 5, Nerul, Navi Mumbai - 400 706, Maharashtra India
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0975-2870.144854
Context: Global warming has been defined by the World Health Organization as "the observed and projected increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere and oceans." It is also a significant and emerging threat to the public health. Aims: The current study was carried out to determine the level of awareness regarding global warming and to study the lifestyle related daily practices among the teaching staff of a medical college. Materials and Methods: This study included 105 teaching staff members. Each participant was given a self-administered, pretested, predesigned questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Epi Info version 7 using proportions and percentages. Results and Conclusion: All the participants were aware of global warming and almost all of them (96%) opined that global warming was a man-made phenomenon rather than a natural one. Two-third (66%) perceived the threat of global warming as severe. Majority (82%) could correctly name at least two activities responsible for global warming. Half (56%) could correctly name any two greenhouse gases. Majority showed awareness about various daily lifestyle related practices, which if practiced by everyone, will help in reduction of global warming. These responsible choices at individual level can contribute to a significant change globally. Keywords: Awareness, global warming, lifestyle related practices
How to cite this article: Nalgundwar AN, Velankar DH, Joshi SM, Mankar MJ, Pinto VN. A study of awareness and lifestyle related practices regarding global warming among the teaching staff of a medical college in Navi Mumbai. Med J DY Patil Univ 2014;7:714-6 |
Introduction | | |
Global warming has been defined as "the observed and projected increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere and oceans". [1] The world today is 0.6°C warmer than 100 years ago and the scientists have predicted a further increase of 1-3°C by the year 2030. [2] Global warming can lead to various climatic catastrophes such as unconventional rains, cloud bursting, floods in low lying areas, melting of polar ice-caps and glaciers, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, destruction of marine life and coral reefs etc. [1] Various human activities are attributing to global warming by increasing the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, thereby amplifying the "greenhouse effect." [3]
Global warming is also a significant and emerging threat to the public health. Global warming is related to skin cancers, blindness from cataracts, genetic changes, and impaired human immune system as a direct effect of ozone layer depletion. [1] Various lifestyle-related practices like indiscriminate use of paper, air conditioners, automobile culture, use of elevators instead of staircases etc., also contribute significantly in the long run. Health systems require well prepared medical manpower to tackle this burning issue.
The current study was carried out to determine the level of awareness regarding global warming and to study the lifestyle related daily practices among the medical teaching staff of the college.
Objectives | | |
To determine the level of awareness regarding global warming and to study the lifestyle related daily practices among the medical staff of the college.
Materials and Methods | | |
A cross-sectional study was undertaken among the teaching staff of a medical college in Navi Mumbai. Prior permission was obtained from the ethics committee of the college. A total of 105 teaching staff members were included in the study. Conventional sampling technique was adopted. Each participant was given a self-administered pretested, predesigned questionnaire to solve on the spot. The purpose of the study was explained to the respondents and confidentiality was maintained. The questionnaire was divided into two sections. Section one contained questions related to the knowledge regarding global warming and section two was about lifestyle related practices contributing to global warming. Responses thus received were evaluated. The data were summarized using percentages. The duration of the study was 1 month.
Results | | |
This study included 105 teaching staff members of a medical college. The response rate was 100%. All the participants were aware of global warming and almost all of them (96%) opined that global warming was a man-made phenomenon rather than a natural one.
Two-third (66%) perceived the threat of global warming as severe. However only 36% could state correctly the predicted increase in average temperature of earth's atmosphere by the year 2030 as 1-3%.
[Table 1]. shows the percentage of participants showing awareness regarding various causes of global warming.
Many were unaware about the lesser known facts such as implementation of carbon tax (77%) and the symbol of orange ribbon (66%). It was heartening to note that 92% believed that it was possible to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases at the country level. | Table 1: Percentage of participants showing awareness regarding various causes of global warming
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[Table 2]. shows the percentage of respondents following various lifestyle-related practices which are related to global warming.
Discussion | | |
Global warming can lead to various climatic catastrophes such as cloud bursting, flash floods, melting of polar ice-caps and glaciers, acid rain, ozone layer depletion etc. [1],[2] Various human activities are attributing to global warming by increasing the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, thereby amplifying the "greenhouse effect". [1]
The participants in this study showed a high level of awareness (100%) and perception of the threat of global warming. Majra and Acharya had also found a high level of awareness (100%) of climate change in their study among medical interns. [3] In our study, almost half (56%) of participants were aware and could correctly name at least two greenhouse gases. However, studies conducted on school students in Turkey and Iran had shown that 28% and 5% of the participants respectively had awareness about the mechanism of greenhouse effect. [4],[5]
Almost all of the participants (96%) opined that this phenomenon was man-made rather than a natural one. Majra and Acharya [3] had also observed a high level of awareness regarding human activities responsible for global warming. Also, in studies by Pandve and Raut [6] and Pandve et al., [7] majority (98% and 98.5% respectively had commented that human activities contribute to climate change. In our study, majority (82%) of the respondents were aware of at least two causes of global warming.
Global warming is also a significant and emerging threat to the public health. The future health hazards of climate change are well-documented, with forecasts of health problems caused by floods, storms, infectious diseases, especially vector-borne diseases etc. [6] Global warming is also related to skin cancers, blindness from cataracts, genetic mutations, and impaired human immune system as a direct effect of ozone layer depletion. Majority were aware of the direct health impacts of global warming, similar to the study by Majra and Acharya. [3] All the participants (100%) were aware of the consequence of skin cancer. Yazdanparast et al. in Iran had also observed that majority (72%) of participants were aware about relationship of global warming with skin cancer. [5]
Various lifestyle-related practices like indiscriminate use of paper, air conditioners, automobile culture etc., also contribute significantly in the long run. Majority of the respondents showed awareness about various daily lifestyle related practices, which if practiced by everyone will help in reduction of global warming. These responsible choices at individual level can contribute to a significant change globally.
Health systems require well-prepared and experienced medical manpower to tackle this burning issue. Medical teaching staff members interact daily with medical students and interns and can positively influence them. They can act as facilitators and impart knowledge regarding global warming and various lifestyle practices related to it. These sensitized future doctors can in turn influence patients and their friends and relatives, with whom they interact. Advice by doctors can thus create a lasting impact on the community. This will significantly help in reduction of global warming in the long run.
References | | |
1. | Velankar D, Joshi S. Global warming-The burning issue. Bombay Hosp J 2009;51:445-51. |
2. | Park K. Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 21 st ed. India: Bhanot Publishers; 2011. p. 690. |
3. | Majra JP, Acharya D. Protecting health from climate change: Preparedness of medical interns. Indian J Community Med 2009;34:317-20. [ PUBMED] |
4. | Kilinc A, Stannisstreet M, Boyes E. Turkish students' ideas about global warming. Int J Environ Sci Educ 2008;3:89-98. |
5. | Yazdanparast T, Salehpour S, Masjedi MR, Seyedmehdi SM, Boyes E, Stanisstreet M, et al. Global warming: Knowledge and views of Iranian students. Acta Med Iran 2013;51:178-84. |
6. | Pandve HT, Raut A. Assessment of awareness regarding climate change and its health hazards among the medical students. Indian J Occup Environ Med 2011;15:42-5. [ PUBMED] |
7. | Pandve HT, Deshmukh PR, Pandve RT, Patil NR. Role of youth in combating climate change. Indian J Occup Environ Med 2009;13:105. [ PUBMED] |
[Table 1], [Table 2]
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