Abstract

SALAZAR CEBALLOS, Alexander et al. RISK PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, 2011 SANTA MARTA- COLOMBIA. Rev Cuid [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.1, pp.613-622. ISSN 2216-0973.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called that climate change is a threat to public health, it is therefore necessary to know the perception of risk to climate change specifically on future health professionals. Materials and Methods: Descriptive quantitative research was undertaken with stratified random sampling. Chi² analysis and logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with sensitive risk perception of climate change and increased climate change to infectious diseases. Results: By Chi² was found that about 69% of students perceive climate change as harmful and between 50 and 59% of them perceive that infectious diseases will increase as a result of climate change. By logistic regression statistical significance was observed that students who belong to the sixth semester of study or higher semesters are 60% more likely to recognize that they can get sick from climate change, 63% more likely to perceive climate change as harmful, were associated 2.2 times plus the increase in global temperature to increase in patients with yellow fever and dengue, also have 58% more likely to relate the increase in cases of cholera and malaria, with respect to students belonging to lower semesters. Discussion: Students of different health programs that belong to the sixth semester of study or higher perceived climate change as a threat to public health and associated with increased infectious diseases, thus, can be considered health students as they progress in academic semesters perceive a greater risk of climate change as a threat to public health and an increase in sick for climate -sensitive infectious diseases. Conclusions: It can be concluded that students in health sciences at the University of Magdalena as found in higher semesters acquire a greater perception of risk from the impact of climate change on public health and the increase of infectious diseases

Keywords : Climate Change; Communicable Diseases; Risk; Public Health; Dengue; (Source: DeCS BIREME).

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