Factors influencing medical students’ knowledge and attitudes toward climate change: A cross-sectional study

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330875 October 10, 2025 9 / 12 Our survey also found a positive correlation between receiving climate change education and knowledge scores. Higher knowledge was also positively correlated with more favorable attitudes toward climate change. Similarly, Abouso- liman et al. found that knowledge positively correlated with attitudes toward climate change [39]. These findings suggest that curricular interventions can enhance physician attitudes toward climate change. Health professionals should be edu- cated on balancing optimal individual care with public health promotion and sustainable practices [5,40]. Encouragingly, most survey respondents agreed that climate change should be a core competency for all health pro- fessionals and expressed a personal responsibility to advocate for policies that address climate change. This is consistent with findings from Turkey, where medical students supported integrating climate change education through both theoreti- cal and experiential learning [41]. However, despite these positive attitudes, many respondents in our study expressed a reluctance to model sustainable practices. Fewer than half were willing to accept a lower salary as residents to support climate initiatives or take public transportation instead of driving. This hesitancy raises important questions about how medical student perceive professional responsibility and personal agency. It remains unclear whether they do not view

physicians as role models for sustainability or whether they feel individual actions would have limited impact. Targeted education and training are needed to empower future physicians to take on leadership roles in promoting sustainability. Our findings have important curricular and policy implications. The majority of physicians did not feel prepared to address the health impacts of climate change or take action. Effective education should begin early in medical training and incorporate experiential learning through project-based work, simulations, and participatory action research [42]. The current lack of a comprehensive educational framework should be addressed [7,9]. Further, collaboration between educational institutions and environmental organizations can foster new initiatives. Studies have shown that adequately training healthcare professionals enhances their role in climate advocacy [43,44] and contributes to reducing institutional, local, and national carbon emissions [17]. Medical students can also benefit from interdisciplinary approaches that bring together environmental scientists and public health experts to offer diverse perspectives. Given the limited published research on environmental health education in the MENA region, particularly from the student perspective, our study adds to the growing international literature on climate change education. However, sev- eral limitations must be noted. Although respondents represented multiple medical schools across several countries, the

sample was limited to a small number of students from two institutions, limiting generalizability. Also, only recent medi- cal school graduates were surveyed. Future research should include a broader range of participants, including current students, residents, and faculty. Finally, the cross-sectional design reveals associations but cannot establish causality or capture changes in attitudes over time. Conclusions Our study highlights the limited climate change education among newly graduated medical students applying for res- idency training in the UAE, reflecting global trends in medical curricula. Although students recognized climate change as an important public health issue, most reported inadequate formal education and minimal clinical exposure. Medical schools around the world must prepare students to address the growing health risks posed by climate change. This will require investments in faculty development, support for student-led advocacy, curricular mapping, and most importantly, the integration of clinical experiences, such as project-based learning, simulations, and participatory action. Interdisciplin- ary collaboration among medical schools, public health institutions, and environmental organizations is essential to equip future physicians with the knowledge and skills to manage climate-related health challenges and advocate for sustainable practices. Supporting information S1 File. Demographics of survey developers. (DOCX)