Impact of Climate Change Education on Pregnant Women's Anxiety and Awareness

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of climate change education on pregnant women's climate change awareness and anxiety.

Study design: Quasi-experimental research with pre- and post-test design.

Methods: This study was conducted among pregnant women who visited a tertiary maternity hospital between April and June 2023 to assess climate change awareness, perception, knowledge, behavioral and policy expectations, and anxiety before and after the introduction of climate change education. The first phase of the study was conducted by distributing a set of questions related to sociodemographics and completing the Climate Change Awareness Scale and the Climate Change Worry Scale, followed by climate change education where pregnant women were exposed to a brochure entitled "Pregnancy and Climate Change". After the intervention, pregnant women were assessed using the same questionnaire.

Results: There was a significant decrease in pregnant women's anxiety regarding climate change (p < 0.001). Participants' awareness (p < 0.001), perception (p < 0.001), knowledge (p < 0.001), and policy expectations regarding climate change significantly increased (p < 0.001), while their anxiety levels decreased (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The study suggests that climate change education may reduce climate change anxiety among pregnant women while also enhancing their awareness, and improving their perceptions, knowledge, behaviors, and policy expectations about climate change.

Keywords: climate change; climate change anxiety; maternal health; mental health; pregnancy.