Accessibility statement

Informing public health messaging on health and climate change

Why we are doing this study

Climate change is an increasing risk to people’s health in the UK, and one likely to widen health inequalities.  Highlighting these health impacts is seen as a way of engaging the public in climate change and building public support for climate action.  However, there is very little UK evidence on whether linking climate change to people’s health and health inequalities would increase public engagement and support.

An earlier PH-PRU project pointed to public concerns about fairness in climate impacts and policy benefits, including for future generations; impacts on wildlife were also a major concern. 

What we will do

This new project will investigate the potential of health and other framings to increase public engagement in climate change and support for action.  Attention will be paid to those with low levels of trust in government, a target group for national and local policymakers seeking population-wide interventions to address the health impacts of climate change.

We will conduct UK-wider surveys of adults aged 18 and over to explore the effect of different framings of climate change on (i) how important the public considers it to be and (ii) public support for climate policies.

The survey questions will be informed by a literature review, social media analyses and community-based public involvement.

The project will help to identify how best to communicate messages about climate change and health to the general public, including with respect to varying message content for different population sub- groups.

Project details are available here

 

Funding

Funder:

NIHR Public Health Policy Research Unit

Start Date:

June 2023

End Date

June 2024

Members

Internal staff:

External partners:

Outputs

The outputs listed here are from research funded by the NIHR Public Health-Policy Research Programme, grant number PR_PRU_1217_20901. The study is independent research carried out by the Public Health Policy Research Unit (PH-PRU), commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme. The views expressed in the outputs are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research, the Department of Health and Social Care or its arm's length bodies, and other Government Departments

Public Health and Society Research in the Department of Health Sciences