Development of a Pilot Literacy Scale to Assess Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors towards Climate Change and Infectious Disease Dynamics in Suriname

Meghan Matlack (), Hannah Covert, Arti Shankar, Wilco Zijlmans, Firoz Abdoel Wahid, Ashna Hindori-Mohangoo and Maureen Lichtveld
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Meghan Matlack: School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 321 S Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
Hannah Covert: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Arti Shankar: Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
Wilco Zijlmans: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Discipline of Pediatrics, Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Leysweg 86, Paramaribo P.O. Box 9212, Suriname
Firoz Abdoel Wahid: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Ashna Hindori-Mohangoo: Foundation for Perinatal Interventions and Research in Suriname (Perisur), Anton Dragtenweg 93, Paramaribo, Suriname
Maureen Lichtveld: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: Prior research has shown that climate literacy is sparse among low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, no standardized questionnaire exists for researchers to measure climate literacy among general populations, particularly with regards to climate change effects on vector-borne diseases (VBDs). We developed a comprehensive literacy scale to assess current knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards climate change and VBD dynamics among women enrolled in the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (CCREOH) cohort in Suriname. Items were generated by our research team and reviewed by a group of six external climate and health experts. After the expert review, a total of 31 climate change and 21 infectious disease items were retained. We estimated our sample size at a 10:1 ratio of participants to items for each scale. In total, 301 women were surveyed. We validated our scales through exploratory ( n = 180) and confirmatory factor analyses ( n = 121). An exploratory factor analysis for our general Climate Change Scale provided a four-construct solution of 11 items. Our chi-squared value (X 2 = 74.32; p = 0.136) indicated that four factors were sufficient. A confirmatory factor analysis reinforced our findings, providing a good model fit (X 2 = 39.03; p = 0.23; RMSEA = 0.015). Our Infectious Disease Scale gave a four-construct solution of nine items (X 2 = 153.86; p = 0.094). A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed these results, with a chi-squared value of 19.16 ( p = 0.575) and an RMSEA of 0.00. This research is vitally important for furthering climate and health education, especially with increases in VBDs spread by Aedes mosquitoes in the Caribbean, South America, and parts of the southern United States.

Keywords: climate change; infectious disease; vector-borne disease; literacy; knowledge; education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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