Knowledge, behaviours, practices, and expectations on climate change among French health workers

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Hospitals face a dual challenge with climate change (CC): reducing emissions and preparing for its impacts. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, behaviours, and practices (KBP) of health workers (HWs) in French hospitals regarding CC and environmental sustainability (ES). The secondary objectives were to understand their expectations and identify associated factors with the KBP of HWs. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional KBP study was carried out among HWs of six French hospitals from June 2021 to December 2022. A structured questionnaire was designed and consisted of five parts: i) participant characteristics, ii) CC knowledge and perceptions, iii) behaviours, iv) practices concerning ES actions, and v) expectations. A multilevel logistic regression model assessed associations between HWs’ KBP and both individual and hospital characteristics. Results Out of 57034 HWs, 4552 (8.0%) participated in the study. Only 15.4% identified the activities with the greatest environmental impact. On a scale of 1 (Not a priority) to 10 (High priority), the average median rating attributed to commitment to ecological transformation in their hospitals was 5.0/10. Among the participants, 1079 (23.7%) had already initiated at least one ES action. To implement ES-related projects, main barriers were reported including lack of dedicated time (40.4%), hierarchical support (32.5%), methodological support (28.9%), and training access (23.7%). The presence of a sustainable development steering committee, especially active for over 5 years, positively correlated with better information for HWs (ORa=1.78 [1.29-2.45]), better knowledge (ORa=1.83 [1.32-2.53]), and more ES actions initiated (ORa=1.74 [1.33-2.29]). Conclusions French HWs demonstrate a commitment to making their hospitals more environmentally sustainable. Some drivers and barriers were identified to further support these essential transformations. Key messages • First national study on knowledge, behaviours, practices, and expectations on climate change and environmental sustainability among French health workers. • Among the drivers to strengthen dynamics within hospitals, the need for training among French health workers and institutional support has been identified.