Climate change-related health hazards in daycare centers in Munich, Germany: risk perception and adaptation measures

Abstract

Due to their vulnerability, children need special protection from health effects of climate change, which are already noticeable today. Since a large proportion of children in Germany are in non-parental care during the day, the pedagogical staff in daycare centers play a crucial role in protecting children’s health. For this reason, a quantitative online survey was conducted among pedagogical staff (n = 181) in daycare centers of one provider in Munich, where children aged nine weeks to 10 years are cared for. It was examined how the pedagogical staff assesses the risk of climate change-related health hazards on children’s health and on its own health at work today and in the next 10 years. Additionally, it was surveyed whether or which measures for (health-related) adaptation to climate change and long-term climate change mitigation in the form of education for sustainable development (ESD) are implemented in the daycare centers. The results were statistically analyzed both descriptively and with multiple linear regression analyses to test the assumed associations. The results show that despite the strong perception of climate change-related health risks, their implementation in corresponding protection and adaptation measures is insufficient in most of the daycare centers surveyed. The informedness of the pedagogical staff proved to be a decisive influencing factor in the implementation of measures. Therefore, in addition to stronger implementation of structural adaptation measures in daycare centers, target group-specific knowledge and instructions for action should also be increasingly conveyed in the training curricula and further education of pedagogical staff.