Climate change knowledge, concerns and experiences in secondary school learners in South Africa.
GAP year
South Africa
climate change
education
global warming
impact
knowledge
secondary schools
youth
Journal
Jamba (Potchefstroom, South Africa)
ISSN: 1996-1421
Titre abrégé: Jamba
Pays: South Africa
ID NLM: 101606753
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2022
2022
Historique:
received:
17
05
2021
accepted:
11
03
2022
entrez:
11
7
2022
pubmed:
12
7
2022
medline:
12
7
2022
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Climate change poses a major threat to the future of today's youth. Globally, young people are at the forefront of climate change activism. Their ability to engage, however, depends on the level of knowledge of climate change and concern about the topic. We sought to examine levels of knowledge and concerns about climate change among youth in South Africa, and their experiences of heat exposure. Ten questions on climate change knowledge, concerns and experiences were nested within a cross-sectional survey conducted in a cluster randomised trial among 924 secondary school learners in 14 public schools in low-income Western Cape areas. Learners' mean age was 15.8 years and they were predominately female. While 72.0% of respondents knew that climate change leads to higher temperatures, only 59.7% agreed that human activity is responsible for climate change, and 58.0% believed that climate change affects human health. Two thirds (68.7%) said that climate change is a serious issue and 65.9% indicated action is needed for prevention. Few learners indicated climate change events had affected them, although many reported difficulties concentrating during hot weather (72.9%). Female learners had lower knowledge levels than male learners, but more frequent heat-related symptoms. Learners scoring high on knowledge questions expressed the most concern about climate change and had the highest heat impacts. Many youth seem unaware that climate change threatens their future. Heat-related symptoms are common, likely undermining educational performance, especially as temperatures escalate. More is needed to mainstream climate change into South African school curricula.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35812831
doi: 10.4102/jamba.v14i1.1162
pii: JAMBA-14-1162
pmc: PMC9257758
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
1162Informations de copyright
© 2022. The Authors.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
A.K., M.F.C., N.N., F.S. and S.M. hold investments in the fossil fuel industry through their pension funds. The University of the Witwatersrand holds investments in the fossil fuel industry through their endowments and other financial reserves.
Références
S Afr Med J. 2019 Aug 28;109(9):615-619
pubmed: 31635581
Sage Open. 2018 Oct-Dec;8(4):1-12
pubmed: 32983597
Scientifica (Cairo). 2019 Mar 11;2019:3069254
pubmed: 30984444
Indoor Air. 2018 Nov;28(6):892-904
pubmed: 30118188
Springerplus. 2015 May 20;4:236
pubmed: 26069875
Springerplus. 2016 Jun 23;5(1):847
pubmed: 27386296
Aviat Space Environ Med. 1980 Jun;51(6):607-10
pubmed: 7417123
BMC Infect Dis. 2015 Feb 06;15:46
pubmed: 25656597
BMC Public Health. 2014 Jun 11;14:587
pubmed: 24916631
Environ Manage. 2016 Aug;58(2):343-58
pubmed: 27179801
Nurs Forum. 2018 Apr;53(2):179-189
pubmed: 28950412
J Biomed Inform. 2019 Jul;95:103208
pubmed: 31078660
Springerplus. 2016 Jul 08;5(1):1015
pubmed: 27441134
Ambio. 2016 Dec;45(Suppl 3):297-308
pubmed: 27878534
Cent Eur J Public Health. 2014 Jun;22(2):125-32
pubmed: 25230542
J Biomed Inform. 2009 Apr;42(2):377-81
pubmed: 18929686
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Jun 07;13(6):
pubmed: 27338423
Springerplus. 2016 Jun 21;5(1):792
pubmed: 27390633
Jamba. 2016 Apr 08;8(3):255
pubmed: 29955323
BMC Public Health. 2017 Jul 4;17(Suppl 3):441
pubmed: 28832282
S Afr Med J. 2019 Jun 28;109(7):447-449
pubmed: 31266566
Jamba. 2019 Jun 13;11(1):748
pubmed: 31308881
Infect Dis Poverty. 2015 Apr 24;4:21
pubmed: 25914808
Environ Res. 1978 Jun;15(3):504-12
pubmed: 679906
Environ Manage. 2017 Feb;59(2):291-306
pubmed: 27778064
Springerplus. 2016 Jun 22;5(1):830
pubmed: 27386279
BMC Public Health. 2019 Jan 11;19(1):54
pubmed: 30634954
Curr Environ Health Rep. 2018 Mar;5(1):197-204
pubmed: 29423661
Public Underst Sci. 2015 Nov;24(8):1007-24
pubmed: 25563297
Jamba. 2017 Mar 28;9(1):292
pubmed: 29955325
Public Health Nurs. 2018 Nov;35(6):598-605
pubmed: 29770962
Glob Health Action. 2014 Dec 08;7:23025
pubmed: 25511880
Ambio. 2012 Jun;41(4):380-92
pubmed: 22270527
Soc Sci Med. 2019 Feb;223:40-50
pubmed: 30708170
J Adolesc Health. 2014 Dec;55(6 Suppl):S31-8
pubmed: 25454000