Date of Award

12-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Epidemiology & Biostatistics

First Advisor

Dr. Shafquat Rozi

Second Advisor

Dr Sobiya Sawani

Third Advisor

DR. Fozia Parveen

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

Background:Global warming is one of the most concerning issues worldwide because of its far-reaching impact on the environment and society. During these challenging times of climate crisis, education plays an essential role in preparing the younger generation to address the consequences of global warming. Adolescents are at a critical point of their lives where their emotional and social development will eventually pave the way for the future of the planet. Therefore, it is necessary to address the issue of the global warming crisis by educating the adolescent generation.
Objective:The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of school-based intervention in improving knowledge and attitude towards global warming among school going adolescents. Methods This study employed a one-group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental study design. The study was a school-based intervention carried out in a private and public school located in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 170 adolescents from grades 6th to 10th were enrolled in this study. All recruited participants had to undergo pre-tests followed by a one-hour session on global warming as an intervention in schools. Further, they had to perform a repeat assessment post-test after four weeks of intervention. The outcomes of this study were as follows: knowledge and attitude were nominal and were measured using a global warming tool adapted from a previous study. These outcomes were compared pre- and post intervention using the McNemar paired test, and the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was used to identify factors affecting the variability in the results before and after the intervention.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 13.48 ± 1.37. Among the study population 57% belonged to Private school while 42.9% belonged to public school. Around 44.1% were boys and 55.8% were girls. Out of the total 170 participants, 29 were from grade 6th, 37 from grade 7th and 34 from grade 8th, while from grade 9th and 10th there were 38 and 32 participants respectively. The results obtained pre- and post-intervention suggested that knowledge increased from 8.8% pre-intervention to 72.3% post intervention (χ2 =108, p-value < 0.001) and the highest improvement (87%) was observed in second domain of knowledge. 123 out of 170 participants reported adequate knowledge post-intervention. The final model for knowledge revealed the grade and birth order of participants to be the main determinants whereas a significant interaction between sources of information and gender of participants was also observed affecting the knowledge regarding global warming. The attitude regarding global warming was improved from 24.1% to 91.7% post-intervention (χ2 =115, p-value < 0.001), while most improvement (84.1%) was observed in the fourth domain of commitment to reduce global warming. A total of 156 participants showed improvement in attitude after the post-test. The birth order of participants and use of internet affects their attitude towards global warming while a significant interaction was observed between knowledge regarding global warming and medium of school.
Conclusion: The implementation of a school-based intervention yielded positive results, enhancing both knowledge and attitudes towards global warming among school going adolescents. Incorporating similar educational activities in schools or integrating them within the formal curriculum holds the potential to enhance adaptive capacities and preparedness strategies amidst the ongoing climate crisis. These measures are vital for nurturing our adolescent generation to address the challenges posed by global warming

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