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Pregnant Women’s Information Consumption and Assessment on Health Risks and Effects Related to Climate Change
Baines, Annalise
Baines, Annalise
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Abstract
Pregnant women and their growing fetuses are considered among the most vulnerable groups to climate change health risks. Exposures can result in immediate and life-long consequences for both mother and offspring, including gestational complications, low birthweight, restricted fetal growth, preterm birth, miscarriages, and neonatal mortality. This dissertation research examined pregnant women’s access and evaluation of information on the effects of climate change on health and what barriers they face in accessing and evaluating relevant information. The study was guided by the Health Belief Model and examined their perceptions toward climate change health threats, the influence of different media sources, and what risk-reducing behaviors the women adopted or considered adopting. A qualitative research approach of semi-structured interviews with 27 pregnant millennial women residing in a midwestern state was used. Results reveal that the women in this study showed no skepticism toward climate change, however, their risk perceptions differed due to underlying vulnerability factors including degree of urbanization and existing health conditions. Women with higher perceived susceptibility and sensitivity were more aware of the health risks associated with changing environments and more active in their information consumption behaviors. Findings also showed that women often face barriers in informing themselves of the health risks associated with climate change due to lack of information on the topic, lack of centralized information hub, politicization, and concern for misinformation. This dissertation offers both scholarly and practical implications in the areas of environmental health communication, digital media messaging, and healthcare fields. This study highlights the importance of approaching the topic in a holistic manner by taking a person’s social determinants of health into account.
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Date
2023-08-31
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University of Kansas
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1006363_1.pdf
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Keywords
Climate change, Health Belief Model, Midwestern states, Pregnant women, Qualitative Interviews