Epidemiology of heat-related illness in dogs under UK emergency veterinary care in 2022

BACKGROUND

Dogs are exposed to increasing environmental risk for developing heat-related illness (HRI), with 2022 recorded as the hottest year to date in the UK and most of Europe.

METHODS

This study used VetCompass data to report the incidence risk, event fatality rate and canine risk factors for HRI in dogs presenting to Vets Now emergency care practices in the UK during 2022.

RESULTS

From the clinical records of 167,751 dogs under care at Vets Now emergency clinics in 2022, 384 HRI events were identified. The 2022 incidence risk of HRI within the Vets Now caseload was 0.23% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21%‒0.25%), with an event fatality rate of 26.56% (95% CI: 21.66%-32.25%). Multivariable analysis identified breed, age and sex/neuter status as risk factors for HRI. Brachycephalic dogs had 4.21 times the odds of HRI compared to mesocephalic dogs (95% CI: 3.22‒5.49, p < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

The clinical data used in this study were not primarily recorded for research and had some substantial levels of missing data (especially patient bodyweight).

CONCLUSION

In order to protect canine welfare, improved long-term mitigation strategies are urgently needed to minimise HRI risk and associated fatality in UK dogs.

The Importance of Philanthropy Foundation for the Future Sustainability of Agriculture and Nutrition: An Opinion Study on Practical Applications, Policies, and Strategies

Food security, food sustainability, and malnutrition represent critical global challenges. Th urgency of comprehensive action is evident in the need for research collaboration between the food industry, agriculture, public health, and nutrition. This article highlights the role of philanthropy, of a non-profit organization, in supporting research and development and filling financial gaps. The article also explores the interplay of nutrition, agriculture, and government and policy, positioning philanthropy as a catalyst for transformative change and advocating for collaborative efforts to comprehensively address global food challenges. In addition, the discussion also underscores the ethical complexities surrounding charitable food aid, especially in terms of the dignity and autonomy of its recipients. The paper concludes by proposing future directions and implications, advocating for diversified intervention portfolios and collaborative efforts involving governments, businesses, and local communities. Apart from that, the importance of answering and alleviating ethical dilemmas related to food charity assistance needs to be a concern for future studies related to philanthropy because of the significant challenges faced by the contemporary food system, which include food security, health, and nutritional sustainability.

'You can't really separate these risks, our environment, our animals and us': Australian children's perceptions of the risks of the climate crisis

Perceptions of the risks associated with the climate crisis are shaped by a range of social and political contexts and information sources. While some have expressed concerns about the impact of the spread of climate misinformation through social media platforms on young people, others have shown that the youth climate movement has played a key role in countering misinformation. Despite this, there has been very limited research with children about how they conceptualize the risks associated with the climate crisis, how they receive climate information, and how they understand and apply this to their own and others' lives. The following qualitative study used photo-elicitation techniques and in-depth interviews with Australian children to address this gap. A total of n = 28 children (12-16 years) participated, with four themes constructed from the data using a reflexive approach to thematic analysis. Children were concerned about how the climate crisis would continue to harm their futures and the health of planet and people. They recognized that some groups and countries would experience more risks associated with the climate crisis as compared to others. While they received information from a range of different sources (school, family, social media), they mostly used social media to seek out climate information. They recognized that social media sites could be a source of climate misinformation, and argued that a range of strategies were needed to identify and counter false information about the climate crisis. Children's perspectives must be harnessed to improve information about climate risks and action.

Assessing Support for Policy Actions With Co-Benefits for Climate Change and Physical Activity in Canada

BACKGROUND

Calls to action addressing the interconnections between physical (in)activity and the climate crisis are increasing. The current study aimed to investigate public support for policy actions that potentially have co-benefits for physical activity promotion and climate change mitigation.

METHODS

In 2023, a survey through the Angus Reid Forum was completed by 2507 adults living in Canada. Binary logistic regressions were conducted. Separate models were created to reflect support or opposition to the 8 included policy items. Several covariates were included in the models including age, gender, political orientation, physical activity levels, income, urbanicity climate anxiety, and attitudes surrounding physical activity and climate change. The data were weighted to reflect the gender, age, and regional composition of the country.

RESULTS

Most individuals living in Canada strongly or moderately supported all actions (ranging from 71% to 85%). Meeting the physical activity guidelines, higher self-reported income, and scoring high on personal experience of climate change were associated with higher odds of supporting the policy actions related to climate actions.

CONCLUSIONS

Most adults living in Canada support policies that align with the recommended policy actions related to physical activity and climate change. National campaigns enhancing awareness and understanding of the bidirectional relationship between physical activity and climate change are warranted, and these should consider the consistent demographic differences (eg, gender, age, and political orientation) seen in public support for physical activity-related policies.

Seeing is more than believing: Personal experience increases climate action

Although global warming is a serious problem that influences numerous people worldwide, individuals are still reluctant to change their behaviours. The present research investigates how local hot temperatures affect climate action in non-Western groups. In Study 1, an analysis of temperature and information acquisition by Shanghai residents in 122 days found that heat increased attention and awareness of climate change. In Study 2 and Study 3, participants who were primed with heat-related perceptions were more likely to take climate action in private and public spheres. In Study 4, we further identified that people who experienced hot temperature events increased their beliefs and efficacy about climate change, which in turn motivated them to take more climate action. Importantly, the mediating effects were significant both in the manipulation of heat and real-world settings. Consistent with our theoretical perspective, seeing is more than believing because personal experience increases climate action by fostering climate change beliefs and efficacy.

Understanding nurses' experience of climate change and then climate action in Western Canada

AIM

To understand nurses' personal and professional experiences with the heat dome, drought and forest fires of 2021 and how those events impacted their perspectives on climate action.

DESIGN

A naturalistic inquiry using qualitative description.

METHOD

Twelve nurses from the interior of British Columbia, Canada, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was employed. No patient or public involvement.

RESULTS

Data analysis yielded three themes to describe nurses' perspective on climate change: health impacts; climate action and system influences. These experiences contributed to nurses' beliefs about climate change, how to take climate action in their personal lives and their challenges enacting climate action in their workplace settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses' challenges with enacting environmentally responsible practices in their workplace highlight the need for engagement throughout institutions in supporting environmentally friendly initiatives.

IMPACT

The importance of system-level changes in healthcare institutions for planetary health.

Integrating mental health into climate change education to inspire climate action while safeguarding mental health

Climate change is the greatest threat humanity faces, and puts at risk the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Climate change education must equip children and young people with the knowledge, skills and resilience to live in an uncertain future, sustainably take relevant climate action and work in climate careers. As attention on climate change education grows, this is a critical moment for the mental health community to ensure mental health and wellbeing considerations are embedded. Critically, appropriate integration of mental health can enable these very necessary goals of equipping children and young people to live and work in a future where climate change looms large. This paper explores why promoting good mental health and wellbeing and building psychological resilience can help achieve climate change education outcomes, and why not doing so risks harming children and young people's mental health. It also explores how integrating discussions about emotions, mental health, and coping strategies within climate change education can be a route into wider discussions about mental health, to support children and young people in the context of rising mental health needs. Learning from an existing approach to promoting good mental health and wellbeing in schools (the 'whole school approach') provides the opportunity to explore one avenue through which such an integrated approach could be implemented in practice. Identifying appropriate mechanisms to integrate mental health into climate change education will require co-design and research with educators and young people, and addressing systemic barriers facing the schools sector.

Australian young people's perspectives about the political determinants of the climate crisis

ISSUE ADDRESSED

There has been little focus on young people's views about the political determinants of the climate crisis. As young people are likely to be the group most impacted by political decisions relating to the climate crisis, it is essential to understand their views about government decision-making.

METHODS

A qualitatively-led online survey of n = 500 young Australians aged 15-24 years. Open text questions sought young people's views about current government climate policies, perceptions about policy effectiveness, and how governments could improve their climate responses. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret and construct themes from the data.

RESULTS

Young people perceived that governments were not taking serious action on the climate crisis. They stated that climate policies were largely influenced by economic imperatives, rather than concern for the wellbeing of current and future generations. They perceived that governments had a duty of care to protect them from the climate crisis, and needed to engage young people in climate discussions and decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

Young people's perspectives about the political determinants of the climate crisis provides information about their understanding of government policies and their recommendations for action. There is a need for collaboration between young people and decision-makers to urgently develop effective climate policies. SO WHAT?: Young people understand key issues relating to the political determinants of the climate crisis. The health promotion community has a role in advocating for structural changes in policymaking processes to ensure young people have a seat at the decision-making table.

Medical students as advocates for a healthy planet and healthy people: Designing an assessment that prepares learners to take action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

PURPOSE

Health professionals are being called on to be advocates for the planet to ensure health and well-being for current and future generations. Clean air, flourishing ecosystems, a stable climate, and nutritious food are required for health and well-being. Considering the deteriorating state of our natural environment, today's health professionals need to be advocates for a healthy planet. This places an onus on tertiary institutions to prepare graduates to 'take action' for the planet and all of its inhabitants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This report outlines the development of a team-based Planetary Health Assignment that equips learners to use at least two of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was identified at the design stage that an effective planetary health educational intervention should not only encourage learners to take action, but also embed creativity, with the best products available for public scrutiny. Several pedagogical principles were used in the design (authentic assessment, learner-centredness, creativity, scholarship).

RESULTS

During the first five years of implementation, minor refinements were made based on learner and academic feedback. The assignment criteria sheet was improved to the point that it encouraged thoughtful and reflective submissions, and tasked learners to provide achievable and realistic solutions to pressing environmental issues. The marking rubric was also developed to provide quality feedback and insights for students.

CONCLUSIONS

The design of this assessment, framed by the SDGs, allows learners flexibility in their choices while still meeting the required learning outcomes. With the assignment underpinned by a robust design, it provides students with both knowledge and experiences about how they might take action on the SDGs and become advocates for a healthy planet.

Indicators for monitoring and evaluating climate change adaptation efforts in South Africa

Tracking and reporting on whether countries are implementing climate change adaptation initiatives are increasingly becoming more important, and indicators and metrics for monitoring climate change adaptation have equally become crucial. This study employed systematic literature coupled with expert consultation to identify climate adaptation metrics and indicators using South Africa as a case study. Specifically, this study identifies climate change adaptation indicators and selects indicators suitable for use in South Africa. Thirty-seven indicators of climate change adaptation covering different sectors were identified. Nine were identified as input indicators, eight as process indicators, 12 as output indicators and eight as outcome indicators. Application of the specific measurable achievable realistic and timely (SMART) criterion to the 37 indicators resulted in 18 indicators of climate change adaptation. Following stakeholder consultations, eight indicators were chosen as appropriate for tracking the country's progress towards climate change adaptation. The indicators developed in this study could contribute to climate adaptation tracking, while offering initial steps towards a set of indicators and their improvement thereof.

Contribution

Insights from this article can provide actionable information for decision-making in climate change adaptation. This is one of the few studies that seek to narrow down relevant and applicable indicators and metrics used by South Africa when reporting climate change adaptation.

Ready for Action! Destination Climate Change Communication: An Archetypal Branding Approach

At the destination level, destination branding may coexist with climate change communication. These two communication streams often overlap because they are both designed for large audiences. This poses a risk to the effectiveness of climate change communication and its ability to prompt a desired climate action. The viewpoint paper advocates the use of archetypal branding approach to ground and center climate change communication at a destination level while concurrently maintaining the uniqueness of destination branding. Three archetypes of destinations are distinguished: villains, victims, and heroes. Destinations should refrain from actions that would make them appear to be climate change villains. A balanced approach is further warranted when portraying destinations as victims. Lastly, destinations should aim at assuming the heroic archetypes by excelling in climate change mitigation. The basic mechanisms of the archetypal approach to destination branding are discussed alongside a framework that suggests areas for further practical investigation of climate change communication at a destination level.

Psychology of Climate Change

Human behavior plays a critical role in causing global climate change as well as in responding to it. In this article, I review important insights on the psychology of climate change. I first discuss factors that affect the likelihood that individuals engage in a wide range of climate actions. Next, I review the processes through which values affect climate actions and reflect on how to motivate climate actions among people who do not strongly care about nature, the environment, and climate change. Then I explain that even people who may be motivated to engage in climate actions may not do so when they face major barriers to act. This implies that to promote wide-scale climate actions, broader system changes are needed. I discuss relevant factors that affect public support for system changes that facilitate and enable climate action. Finally, I summarize key lessons learned and identify important questions for future research.

The diffusion of sustainability and Dingle Peninsula 2030

Instilling a collaborative approach can widen participation to a range of stakeholders, enabling the diffusion of sustainability and increasing local capacity to meet decarbonisation targets to mitigate against climate change. Dingle Peninsula 2030 has emerged as an international case study of a collaborative regional sustainability project, whereby a wide range of initiatives, beyond the initial remit of the project, have emerged in the area. This holistic scale of action is required for effective climate action. Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framing, the interrelated nature of climate action has been shown through this study. In setting out to undergo energy projects a wide range of new initiatives emerged as community members became engaged in the process. Initiatives have emerged related to energy, transport, agriculture, education, tourism and employment, in what we have coined the 'diffusion of sustainability'.

Quantifying the effectiveness and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation actions across sectors: a protocol for an umbrella review

BACKGROUND

Effective and rapid actions are required to achieve global goals for climate change mitigation, and there is an opportunity to ensure that the actions taken are also positive for human health. However, little is known about the relative magnitude of the health co-benefits that can be achieved from mitigation actions, so robust and comprehensive syntheses of the evidence on the nature and effects of relevant actions are required. This paper presents a protocol for an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral umbrella review of systematic reviews, synthesising modelled and empirical evidence on such actions.

METHODS

Nine bibliographic databases will be searched, capturing literature across a wide range of disciplines and sectors. Unique records retrieved by the searches will be screened by two independent reviewers. The quality of all the included systematic reviews will be assessed using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2 critical appraisal tool. Data will be extracted on methodological and thematic characteristics of the reviews, nature of the actions, and their effects on greenhouse gas emission reduction, health, and its determinants, as well as any other reported effects and interactions across different actions.

RESULTS

Narrative and quantitative synthesis methods will be used to create a typology of relevant actions, map pathways to their impacts on health, compare the magnitude of health and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction impacts by selected characteristics of the actions and the nature of the evidence, as well as to identify gaps in evidence syntheses.

CONCLUSION

This review will identify the most effective actions for global climate change mitigation and health based on the best available scientific evidence.   This protocol has been registered in PROSPERO, Reg No.: CRD42021239292.

Reproductive medicine in the face of climate change: a call for prevention through leadership

Climate change has led to a multitude of ecological disruptions and downstream reproductive health consequences that impair our reproductive capacity and, in turn, harm the health and survival of future generations. Atmospheric changes, driven by anthropogenic emissions, expose global populations to droughts, heat waves, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events-posing major threats to public health and exacerbating environmental health disparities. Existing evidence demonstrates the potential for climate-driven events to impact reproductive health outcomes, yet very few studies have explored this relationship. Recently, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics released position statements regarding reproductive health and environmental exposures. Unfortunately, such initiatives have yielded little action within the health care system. To address this stagnation, health care workers must meld research findings into actionable preventive medicine strategies and transition to a more action-oriented approach to address the climate crisis. The objective of this article is to elucidate the urgency of the climate crisis in relation to reproductive health and push the health care workers to recognize their intrinsic opportunity as leaders in climate action at local, state, national, and international levels. We call on health care organizations and health care workers to leverage their inherent positions as climate action leaders to increase climate resilience and mitigate climate-related adverse reproductive health outcomes.

The third degree: climate change and reproductive health

Climate change is a public health emergency, yet the medical community has been inconsistent in its understanding and engagement of the crisis. Reproductive endocrinology and infertility and reproductive biology will be impacted broadly by the changing climate. This Views and Reviews hopes to enlist reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists to first understand the issues and then take action to support mitigation and accommodation efforts.

Why We Should Preach to the Climate Change Choir: The Importance of Science Communication That Engages People Who Already Accept Climate Change

AbstractClimate change is one of the most urgent issues facing society today, and scientists have an important opportunity to teach students and other audiences about climate change. With climate communication, it can be tempting to think that the primary goal should be to get more people to accept climate change, but true climate literacy requires not just an understanding of the reality of climate change but also acting on that understanding. Here, I argue that there is an important role for communicating about climate change with people who already accept that it is occurring. Such communication can help people improve their understanding, increasing their certainty regarding climate change and its drivers, and spur them to take action. Social science research has important insights regarding how to communicate in a way that encourages people to change behaviors, including aiming to increase personal and collective efficacy and helping people figure out how to meet key needs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change communicators should seek out audiences that already accept climate change, helping those individuals deepen their understanding and energizing and empowering these people to act.

Climate action for health and wellbeing in cities: a protocol for the systematic development of a database of peer-reviewed studies using machine learning methods

Cities produce more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Action by cities is therefore crucial for climate change mitigation as well as for safeguarding the health and wellbeing of their populations under climate change. Many city governments have made ambitious commitments to climate change mitigation and adaptation and implemented a range of actions to address them. However, a systematic record and synthesis of the findings of evaluations of the effect of such actions on human health and wellbeing is currently lacking. This, in turn, impedes the development of robust knowledge on what constitutes high-impact climate actions of benefit to human health and wellbeing, which can inform future action plans, their implementation and scale-up. The development of a systematic record of studies reporting climate and health actions in cities is made challenging by the broad landscape of relevant literature scattered across many disciplines and sectors, which is challenging to effectively consolidate using traditional literature review methods. This protocol reports an innovative approach for the systematic development of a database of studies of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions implemented in cities, and their benefits (or disbenefits) for human health and wellbeing, derived from peer-reviewed academic literature. Our approach draws on extensive tailored search strategies and machine learning methods for article classification and tagging to generate a database for subsequent systematic reviews addressing questions of importance to urban decision-makers on climate actions in cities for human health and wellbeing.

Climate Action at Public Health Schools in the European Region

Climate change is putting the achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals at risk and leads to negative impacts on human health and well-being. Consequently, tremendous social responsibility lies with public health professionals and their associations. Therefore, this study addressed the following question: “How can the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) best support the goals of the European Green Deal through its network of public health schools and departments?” This study looked at the implementation of climate education in public health schools in the European region and climate action taken by these public health schools. An online survey among ASPHER members with a 51% overall response rate (excluding non-European members) shows that 64% of the responding schools provide climate-health educational offerings, while 63% consider these for the future. Additionally, most climate actions taken by the schools were ad hoc actions. These findings show that a systematic approach is missing, and there is a general lack of strategy in most schools. We consequently recommend that schools invest in climate and health education in their curricula and become exemplars for climate action to actively contribute to the achievement of Europe’s climate goals.

The climate crisis and forensic mental healthcare: what are we doing?

The climate crisis poses the greatest threat to human health this century. Mental health services will be called on to address the psychological consequences of its effects on peoples' lives, particularly the socially disadvantaged and those on low incomes. However, healthcare systems are also contributors to the climate crisis. This editorial discusses how services can continue to provide care while contributing less to climate change. Specifically, it suggests what services such as forensic mental healthcare, which is constrained by legal, political and resourcing concerns, can do differently.

Physical activity promotion in the age of climate change

The importance of the global climate crisis requires linking physical activity promotion and climate action. This article provides a first overview of interconnections between physical activity promotion and climate action, potential synergies and discrepancies, aiming to stimulate further discussion about this topic. The analysis is based on the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 (GAPPA). The GAPPA covers five perspectives that are of particular relevance with respect to potential links with climate policy: (1) Infrastructures supporting active transport, (2) green spaces and recreational/exercise facilities, (3) exercise programs, (4) mass communication campaigns and mass participation events and (5) training of professionals. Our analysis demonstrates a considerable alignment between strategies for physical activity promotion and efforts for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, in some of the areas, this alignment could still be improved. Additionally, more climate-conscious policies, research and surveillance need to be developed in the field of physical activity promotion.

Hospital climate actions and assessment tools: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Health and climate change are inexorably linked through the exacerbation of health risks and the contribution of the health sector to greenhouse gas emissions. Climate action in healthcare settings is critical to reduce risks and impacts of climate change through the smarter use of energy, minimising waste and enhancing disaster preparedness. Globally, hospital climate action is growing; however, the potential for further progress and impacts remains. The literature on this topic lacks synthesis, and this poses challenges for hospital leadership in tracking the impact of climate action. This scoping review will summarise the current knowledge about hospital climate action and existing tools to measure progress in this area.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This scoping review will be conducted applying the six-stage protocol proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. The study includes literature of how hospitals have addressed climate change (mitigation and adaptation) since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997. All identified studies indexed in Medline, Scopus, Embase and CINAHL will be examined. The search strategy will also include Google Scholar to capture relevant grey literature. Quantitative and thematic analysis will be used to evaluate and categorise the study results.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This scoping review is part of the climate-smart healthcare initiative which will provide a valuable synthesis to aid understanding of hospitals' climate actions, and tools used to measure its implementation. As such it will contribute to mobilising and accelerating the implementation of climate action in hospitals. The findings will be disseminated with all members of the International Health Promoting Hospital and Health Services (HPH) and the Global Green and Healthy Hospital network. Dissemination will occur through peer-reviewed publications; and with the HPH and GGHH members through its annual conference and newsletter.