Gender differences on perceptions of health risks and adaptation of climate change among primary healthcare workers in Guangdong Province / 环境与职业医学

Background Climate change has resulted in long-term impacts on human health. Implementing efficient adaptation strategies among primary healthcare facilities is well determined by whether staff of different genders recognize the health risks related to climate change and are willing to take active measures. Objective To investigate gender differences on perceptions of health risks and attitude towards adaptation strategies among primary healthcare workers in China, and provide relevant suggestions. Methods By adopting a multi-stage cluster sampling method, we selected 21 urban and 10 rural healthcare facilities in Guangdong Province to collect information with a questionnaire. Then chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and logistic regression analysis were used to explore the gender differences in climate change-related health risk cognition, knowledge acquisition channels, attitudes towards adaptation strategies, main obstacles, and resource requirements among the healthcare workers. Results Of 733 participants, 38.47% (282 participants) were male and 61.53% (451 participants) were female. The percentages of male healthcare workers who agreed that climate change is happening and recognized the causes of climate change (70.21%, 60.99%) were higher than the percentages of female counterparts (59.87%, 49.00%) (both Ps＜0.05), but no obvious gender differences existed in recognizing health risks of heatwaves and infectious diseases as well as sensitive population identification (all Ps＞0.05). Most of the participants (92.50%) received climate change and health-related information from mass media like TV, radio, and newspapers. Meanwhile less men chose new media channels than women (OR=0.62, 95%CI∶ 0.41-0.94). Only 30.56% of the participants (33.69% of men and 28.60% of women) reported involvement of relevant training and lectures. Most of them (90.96%) agreed to take active measures to deal with the health threats associated with climate change without gender differences for various measures (all Ps＞0.05). The leading obstacles were hard to integrate health adaptation to climate change into main work of institutions (most female agreed, 72.28%) and the lack of funds (most male agreed, 77.66%). Increasing funding for primary health care was regarded as the most needed resource by male (86.88%) and female (89.14%). After controlling the influence of other social factors, more men agreed with the lack of funds than women (OR=1.57, 95%CI∶ 1.10-2.24). Conclusion There are some gender differences in the perceptions of health risks and adaptation strategies of climate change among primary healthcare workers: Male staff are more likely to agree with climate change and regard the lack of funds as the main obstacle, while women prefer to choose new media channels to obtain information. It’s suggested that the government and relevant institutions focus on the learning and training of climate change and health-related knowledge and expand diversified information access, and promote capacity building to cope with health threats at grass-root level, in the light of recognized gender differences among primary healthcare workers.

Estrategias de adaptación y prácticas de cuidado en comunidades desplazadas climáticas: caso colombiano / Estratégias de adaptação e práticas de cuidados em comunidades deslocadas pelo clima: caso colombiano / Adaptation strategies and care practices among climate-displaced communities: colombian case

RESUMEN. El desplazamiento climático puede constituir un desafío para el desarrollo infantil, dado que las estrategias adoptadas por las familias y la comunidad, así como aquellas iniciativas o medidas institucionales para garantizar la supervivencia en este nuevo orden, no siempre se orientan al desarrollo integral de los infantes. Las prácticas de cuidado se ven afectadas por los dramáticos cambios a los que se enfrentan las familias en situación de desplazamiento, traduciéndose en la ruptura o transformación repentina de la cotidianidad. En ese sentido, el proyecto que se presenta, buscó conocer los retos en materia de cuidado infantil tras la ola invernal de 2010-2011, tomando como caso de estudio, las comunidades afectadas en el sur del departamento del Atlántico en Colombia.

RESUMO. As mudanças climáticas podem constituir um agravamento para o desenvolvimento infantil, dado que as estratégias adotadas pelas famílias e comunidade, assim como as iniciativas e medidas institucionais para garantir a sobrevivência nesta nova ordem, nem sempre são adequadas ao desenvolvimento integral das crianças. As práticas de cuidados são afetadas pelas mudanças dramáticas enfrentadas pelas famílias em situações de deslocamento, resultando na quebra repentina ou transformação da vida cotidiana. Neste sentido, o projeto apresentado, procurou conhecer os desafios da assistência à infância após o inverno de 2010-2011, tomando como estudo de caso, as comunidades afetadas no sul do departamento do Atlântico na Colômbia.

ABSTRACT. Climate displacement may be challenging to child development, since strategies adopted by families and communities, as well as those public initiatives and measures in order to ensure survival in this new order, are not always oriented to infants' full development. Care practices are affected by the dramatic changes faced by displaced families, resulting in a sudden rupture or transformation in everyday life. In this regard, the following project seeks to identify the challenges in terms of care after the 2010-2011 rainy season, taking as its point of reference the case of the communities affected in the South of the department of Atlántico in Colombia.

Policy Implications of Droughts and Floods Adaptation on Household Crop Production and Food Security in Southern Malawi.

Aims: This paper quantified the contribution of drought and flood related adaptation strategies on household food production and food security. Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted in lowland and highland areas of southern Malawi and data was collected from randomly sampled households using a semi-structured questionnaire. Methodology: The paper employed a Translog production function and a Tobit model to determine the effects of drought and flood related adaptation strategies on food production and food security. About 1000 households were randomly selected to participate in the household survey. Fifty percent of the respondents were from lowland areas while the remaining 50% was from highland areas of Southern Malawi. Results: Results show that households in the study area adapted through irrigation farming, income-generating activities, crop diversification and shifting planting dates. Irrigation farming significantly increased food production by 8% and 6% and improved food availability by 24% and 19% in low and highland areas, respectively (p<0.05). On the other hand, shifting crop-planting dates reduced food production by 24% and 37% and food availability by 20% and 11% at 5% level of significance in low and highland areas, respectively. Conclusion: This paper concluded that adaptation strategies have very interesting and significant policy implications on household crop production and food security. It is therefore suggested that decisions by policy/decision makers on household food production and availability should strive at mainstreaming droughts and floods related adaptation.