Assessment of the influence of climatic factors on the well-being of the population by the method of questioning

Introduction. Climate change is the greatest global public health threat facing the world in the 21^st century, but it is also the greatest opportunity to redefine the determinants of health. On the territory of Russia, climatic conditions change about 2.5 times more intensively than on average on the planet, average annual temperatures are rising in all physical and geographical regions and federal districts. In this regard, the study of the influence of climatic factors on the health of the population is of increasing interest for both science and practice.

The purpose of the study is to conduct a sociological assessment of the influence of climatic factors on well-being among the population of St. Petersburg.

Material and methods. A random sample of adults conducted a personal formalized survey of four hundred forty three 17 to 55 years people regarding the influence of climatic factors on their well-being. A specially designed questionnaire was used for the sociological research. Methods of statistical processing, scientific hypothetical-deductive cognition, general logical methods and techniques of research are applied including analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalization, induction.

Results. 443 people took part in the study, of which: young people (from 17 to 30 years old), who made up 76% (341 people), the average age (from 30 to 55 years) was 34% (102 people), average age of respondents was 26.15 years. Assessment of the significance of the influence of climatic factors on well-being showed that in 74.2% of cases, all respondents note a strong influence and correlate complaints and responses from health with the presence of a climatic factor, there is no statistically significant age difference (p=0.245). 94.0% of women were more sensitive to changes in natural and climatic factors compared to 44.3% of men (p<0.001). The number of respondents using weather forecast data in everyday life was 76.2%, there is no statistically significant age difference (p=0.667), women use the weather forecast more often – 85.0% when compared to men – 63.0% (p<0.001). The respondents, as a rule, received information about the weather from open sources on the Internet via mobile devices, less often through radio and television. At the same time, the alertness (fear) associated with climate change in the future was determined in only 12.4% of respondents (there is no significant difference in gender p=0.075 and age p=0.821).

Limitations. The conducted assessment of the impact of climatic factors on the well-being of the population by means of a questionnaire indicates the relevance of the work carried out and shows the need to expand the study to the population of territories of other climatic zones, including groups older than 55 years.

Conclusion. A sociological study, along with a quantitative assessment, makes it possible to identify the main health complaints related to the impact of climatic factors and predict their impact on the health of the population. When analyzing the data obtained as a result of the survey, it was found that the most significant ranking places for the age group from 17 to 55 years by mentioning climatic factors were occupied by: 1) precipitation, 2) cloud cover, 3) change in the duration of the day, which are associated with the following health responses: 1) deterioration of general well-being, 2) violation of the psycho-emotional state, 3) headaches.

Compliance with ethical standards. Conducting a sociological survey on the basis of the North-West Public Health Research Center using a specially designed questionnaire, approved at a meeting of the local ethics committee, Protocol No. 2021/38.2 of 07.09.2021. All respondents who took part in this study confirmed their voluntary consent to participate in the study by making appropriate marks in the questionnaire. 

Patient consent. Each participant of the study gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study and publish personal medical information in an impersonal form in the journal "Gigiena i Sanitariya (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal)".

Contribution:
Noskov S.N. — development of the research concept, editing of the final version of the text;
Golovina E.G. — collecting material and processing data, writing the text of the article;
Stupishina E.G. — collecting material and processing data, writing the text of the article;
Mironenko O.V. — editing the final version of the article text.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version. 

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest. 

Acknowledgement. The study had no sponsorship. 

Received: May 17, 2022 / Accepted: August 04, 2022 / Published: September 14, 2022