Women's Health & Climate Change: An SDG-Based Peer Education Module

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Climate change, as a global issue, poses numerous negative effects on health. These impacts are particularly profound for certain social groups, such as women. Health authorities have emphasized that climate change affects physical and mental health, nutrition, water security, and public health. Due to biological, social, and economic factors, women are more vulnerable to climate change-related health risks.

Women's specific health periods, such as pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, can make the challenges posed by climate change even more pronounced. Climate-related natural disasters, water scarcity, food insecurity, and rising temperatures may hinder women's access to healthcare services and increase health risks. This situation highlights the need for targeted strategies and focused attention to improve women's health.

In this context, it is important for nursing students to develop awareness of the effects of climate change on women's health, as this will play a significant role in their future professional practice. Since nurses are at the forefront of healthcare services, education on this topic will enable them to effectively address public health problems. A peer education program aimed at nursing students seeks to raise awareness of the impact of environmental factors on health and to deepen their understanding of how these factors affect women's health.

This educational initiative not only provides knowledge about the health effects of climate change but also contributes to the development of strategies to protect women in future healthcare practices. Therefore, this study, titled "The Impact of Climate Change on Women's Health," is considered to hold an important place in nursing education.

Accordingly, this study aims to examine the effect of a peer education intervention on climate change and its impact on women's health on the level of climate change-related anxiety among nursing students studying in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. The population consists of third-year nursing students enrolled in the spring semester of the 2024-2025 academic year. The entire population was included in the study. Randomization was performed using an online randomization tool to assign students into experimental and control groups. The training was delivered by intern students from the Gynecology Nursing group.

The Sustainable Development Goals-based peer education module was structured into two main components: reproductive health and environmental factors. Topics included the impact of climate change on adolescence, pregnancy, infertility, and menopause, as well as nutrition and food security, water and hygiene, and the effects of climate change on migrant and refugee women. Each topic was planned and presented collaboratively by student educators.

Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Characteristics Form and the Climate Change Anxiety Scale. The necessary permissions for the use of these tools were obtained. Data collection was conducted at three time points: before the training, immediately after the training, and one month after the training. The control group received the same training after the completion of the study.

This research was not supported by any institution or organization, and all expenses were covered by the researchers.

The Sociodemographic Characteristics Form consisted of ten questions developed by the researchers to collect participants' background information. The Climate Change Anxiety Scale is a single-dimension, 10-item Likert-type scale used to assess anxiety related to climate change. Responses are rated on a five-point scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Total scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating higher levels of climate change anxiety.

Inclusion Criteria: All students who were third-year nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences and who agreed to participate in the study were included. The reason for including third-year students was that they had taken the Women's Health and Diseases Nursing course in the fall semester and their level of perception on the topic was sufficient.

Assessment Methods Used in the Study: Data were collected using a diagnostic form and the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS). Participants who decided to join the study were informed in detail about the research by the investigator. Before the interview, the participants were provided with information about the study, and the purpose of the research was explained. After this briefing, written and verbal consent was obtained from the participants confirming their agreement to participate, and the forms were filled out.

Statistical Methods Used in the Study: When evaluating the study data, quantitative variables were presented with descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, median, minimum, and maximum values; qualitative variables were shown using frequency and percentage. For variables showing normal distribution, the Student's t-test was used for comparisons between two groups; One-way ANOVA test was applied for comparisons involving three or more groups, and Bonferroni test was used to identify the group causing the difference. For variables not showing normal distribution, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between two groups; the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied for comparisons with three or more groups, and the Dunn test was used to determine the group responsible for the difference. Spearman's correlation analysis was employed to assess relationships between variables. Results were evaluated at a 95% confidence interval with significance at the p<0.05 level.