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Table 3 Summary of respondents’ opinions on the inclusion of education on the relationship between pollution, climate change, and health in their curriculum

From: Medical, nursing, and physician assistant student knowledge and attitudes toward climate change, pollution, and resource conservation in health care

Opinions on inclusion of pollution, climate change, and health in the curriculum

Responses shown are % of respondents whoagree” orstrongly agree” with the each statement following the question “How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about including education on the relationship between pollution, climate change, and health in the medical/nursing/physician assistant school curriculum?

 

Medical Students

(Question N = 162)

Nursing Students

(Question N = 53)

Physician Assistant Students

(Question N = 46)

Combined Students

(Question N = 261)

% (N)

% (N)

% (N)

% (N)

It is important to understand this issue so I can help my patients

60.5 (98)

81.1 (43)

73.9 (34)

67.1 (175)

It is important to understand this issue, but it isn’t pertinent to patient care

39.5 (64)

26.4 (14)

13.0 (6)

32.2 (84)

I feel I can learn about this issue through observation in clinical practice, not classroom-based learning

14.2 (23)

21.2 (11)

15.2 (7)

15.8 (41)

I feel we should cover this issue in the classroom and it should be reinforced in the clinical setting

57.4 (93)

71.7 (38)

71.7 (34)

62.8 (164)

The training and testing we receive in medical school already requires a lot of my attention, there is no time to learn about this issue

30.2 (49)

24.5 (13)

34.8 (16)

29.9 (78)

I think there is a role for physicians/nurses/physician assistants in addressing this issue, but it is not my personal interest area

57.4 (93)

39.6 (21)

41.3 (19)

50.9 (133)

It is important to understand this issue because physicians/nurses/physician assistants have an important role to play in educating patients and the public about the impacts of pollution and climate change on health

69.8 (113)

86.8 (46)

91.3 (42)

77.0 (201)

Pollution and climate change should not be included in the medical/nursing/physician assistant school curriculum

16.7 (27)

11.3 (6)

10.9 (5)

14.6 (38)