Climate Change as a Social Determinant of Health: An Interactive Case-Based Learning Activity

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Environmental Health
• Climate Change Impacts

Background:

• Climate change is a significant global health threat.
• Medical schools lag in integrating environmental health topics into curricula.
• Environmental Determinants of Health (EDH) are critical for understanding human health impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a mandatory educational module on climate change and EDH for first-year medical students.
• To evaluate changes in student knowledge and attitudes regarding EDH in medical education.

Main Methods:

• A 1-hour, interactive, case-based module on climate change as an EDH was developed.
• 155 first-year medical students completed pre- and post-module surveys.
• Surveys assessed knowledge gains and attitude shifts regarding the priority of EDH in medical education.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase (p < .001) in the perceived priority of discussing EDH in medical education was observed.
• Students reported strengths including cases, content, video, and resources.
• Areas for improvement included clinical application, engagement guidance, and discussion time.

Conclusions:

• The module effectively increased student prioritization of EDH in medical education.
• Future physicians need training to address climate change's health impacts.
• This module provides a model for integrating essential environmental health content into medical curricula.