Shaping Tomorrows Care: Assessing the Influence of Future Midwives Knowledge and Concerns About Climate Change on Maternal and Child Health

OpenAlex İngilizce

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate midwifery students' knowledge and concerns about climate change, especially how it affects maternal and child health. DESIGN: The study is cross-sectional descriptive. SAMPLE: The sample included all 103 4th-year midwifery students without selection. MEASUREMENTS: The Introductory Information Form, Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) and Climate Change Knowledge Test (CCKT) were applied to gather data. Descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to perform comparisons, setting significance levels at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Students were asked questions about how climate change affects maternal and child health. Students who thought that climate change causes heat-related illnesses had significantly higher CCAS anxiety subscale scores (KW = 10.778, p < 0.05). Students who thought that droughts, storms, floods, and fires caused physical or psychological problems had significantly higher CCAS and helplessness subscale scores (KW = 10.237, p < 0.05; KW = 10.172, p < 0.05). Students who thought that illnesses were caused by UV radiation and poor air quality had significantly higher CCAS scores (KW = 10.236, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Midwifery students recognize climate change impacts on maternal-child health while experiencing significant anxiety and helplessness about future implications. Preparing students for climate change roles and responsibilities and creating awareness-raising activities are important for their future professional success.