Public health nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding climate change.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Climate change affects human health, and health departments are urged to act to reduce the severity of these impacts. Yet little is known about the perspective of public health nurses--the largest component of the public health workforce--regarding their roles in addressing health impacts of climate change.

Objectives

We determined the knowledge and attitudes of public health nurses concerning climate change and the role of public health nursing in divisions of health departments in addressing health-related impacts of climate change. Differences by demographic subgroups were explored.

Methods

An online survey was distributed to nursing directors of U.S. health departments (n = 786) with Internet staff directories.

Results

Respondents (n = 176) were

SUBMITTER: Polivka BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3295355 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature