Climate Change and Local Public Health in the United States
Author Information
Author(s): Edward W. Maibach, Amy Chadwick, Dennis McBride, Michelle Chuk, Kristie L. Ebi, John Balbus
Primary Institution: George Mason University
Hypothesis
How do local public health department directors perceive and respond to climate change as a public health issue?
Conclusion
Most local health department directors recognize climate change as a public health threat but have not prioritized it in their departments.
Supporting Evidence
- Nearly 70% of respondents believed their jurisdiction had experienced climate change in the past 20 years.
- 78% believed their jurisdiction would experience climate change in the next 20 years.
- Only 19% indicated that climate change was among their department's top 10 current priorities.
Takeaway
The people in charge of local health departments know that climate change is a problem, but they aren't doing much about it yet.
Methodology
A telephone survey was conducted with 133 randomly selected local health department directors.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to non-response, as those who refused may have different perceptions of climate change.
Limitations
The survey response rate was 61%, and non-respondents may have different views on climate change.
Participant Demographics
Local health department directors from various jurisdictions across the United States.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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