Climate change knowledge, attitudes, and practices among future physicians in Egypt

Climate change poses significant threats to public health, necessitating proactive engagement from healthcare professionals. However, there is limited research on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of future physicians in Egypt regarding climate change and health. This study aims to fill this gap and generate insights that can guide institutional reforms and policy development. A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and November 2024, involving 797 medical students and interns from 34 Egyptian medical schools. Data were collected using convenience sampling via an online anonymous questionnaire, covering sociodemographics, climate change knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Most participants (94.3%) were aware of climate change. However, knowledge of indirect health impacts, such as links to social inequality (52.7%) and reproductive health (45%), was limited. The primary sources of climate change information were the internet (87.8%) and social media (86.2%), and 74.5% of participants agreed that climate change should be included in medical curricula. Students exposed to climate change content in their curriculum demonstrated significantly higher personal mitigation and advocacy practices scores compared to their peers (both p < .05). While 69.9% believed physicians should raise awareness, only 30% reported encouraging climate-related local policies. Most of the participating medical students were aware of climate change but lacked comprehensive knowledge of its health impacts and advocacy engagement. Integrating climate change into medical curricula may facilitate preparing future climate-oriented healthcare professionals.