Nowadays, society is increasingly aware of the serious problem that climate change poses for the population worldwide’s health since it can influence it through direct effects (extreme temperatures and intense climatic events) and indirect effects (due to atmospheric pollution, unsafe food and water, increased infectious and vector-borne diseases).
Nowadays, society is increasingly aware of the serious problem that climate change poses for the population worldwide’s health since it can influence it through direct effects (extreme temperatures and intense climatic events) and indirect effects (due to atmospheric pollution, unsafe food and water, increased infectious and vector-borne diseases). Some groups of individuals especially affected, such as children, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases and the elderly. In detail, the response of individuals over 65 years of age to climate change is conditioned by the changes that occur in their bodies because of ageing. A decreased thermoregulatory system causes less ability to adapt to heat or cold waves, which translates into increased mortality. The reduction of their lung capacity causes air pollution to produce an increase in respiratory and heart diseases, as well as a decrease in cognitive function. These are some examples that demonstrate the fact that the elderly population is at climatic risk and require that nursing professionals be able to identify these situations of danger to their health.
Nurses can act on different fronts: conducting a sustainable health practice (reducing the climate footprint), informing the population of the risks to which they are exposed and providing the necessary care to the people who directly suffer the effects. For this, it is necessary to have or acquire the necessary skills (knowledge, skills and attitudes) that allow us to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to avoid or reduce the damage caused by climate change, as well as environmental health care plans for the greater.
Principal Investigators:
- Eva Mª Montoro Ramírez. Universidad de Jaén.
- Isabel M. López Medina. Universidad de Jaén.
- Laura Parra Anguita. Universidad de Jaén.
Collaborating researchers:
- Carmen Álvarez Nieto. Universidad de Jaén.
- Gema Parra Anguita. Universidad de Jaén.
Objetives.
The general objectives of this project are:
• Prepare and validate a questionnaire to measure competencies on the effects of climate change on the elderly’s health among nursing professionals and students.
• Analyze the relationship between attitudes, knowledge and skills on the effects of climate change on the health of older people in nursing professionals and students.
• Identify the sociodemographic and professional factors that influence the acquisition of environmental health skills by nursing professionals and students.
The specific objectives are:
• Identify the recommendations on the effects of climate change on the elderly’s health.
• Construct a knowledge questionnaire on the effects of climate change on the elderly’s health for nursing professionals and students.
• Construct an attitude questionnaire for nursing professionals and students about the effects of climate change on the elderly’s health.
• Construct a skill questionnaire for nursing professionals and students in managing the effects of climate change on the elderly’s health.
• Check the psychometric properties of these questionnaires in a suitable sample:
– Analyze content validity through a group of experts.
– Analyze construct validity.
– Analyze reliability.
Methods.
This project consists of the following stages:
1. Construction and validation of the Environmental Health Nursing Competencies Questionnaire for the elderly (EEH-CQ) through four phases:
- The development of the questionnaire and writing of the items.
- Content validation by a panel of specialists.
- Pilot test.
- Psychometric validation.
2. Evaluation of the knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing degree students.
3. Evaluation of the knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing professionals.
