MEDICAL STUDENTS KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PERCEPTION REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE: A STUDY OF KABUL UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Climate change represents a critical global challenge with profound implications for human health, making it essential to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of future healthcare professionals. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and perception of students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences regarding climate change. Employing a cross-sectional research design, an online survey was conducted using self-administered questionnaires to gather data from medical students. Descriptive analysis was utilized to interpret the findings. A total of 84.7% of respondents were male, with a mean age of 21.47 years. Notably, 83.3% of participants reported feeling adequately informed about climate change, while 16.7% expressed uncertainty or acknowledged limited knowledge. Awareness of climate change’s implications was strong, with 96.3% recognizing the role of forests in mitigating greenhouse gases and 91.3% identifying greenhouse gas emissions as primary drivers of climate change. However, knowledge of specific greenhouse gases was less robust, with 90.3% correctly identifying carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The average knowledge score was 87.34%. In terms of perceptions, 97.3% acknowledged the reality of climate change and its potential sectoral impacts, though only 88% recognized its link to increased food-borne and waterborne diseases. These findings indicate that while medical students possess a commendable level of awareness and positive attitudes towards climate change, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding greenhouse gases and health impacts, underscoring the need for targeted educational interventions.