Impact of Climate Changes on Women's Health in Al Dakahlya Governorate, Egypt (Women)

the current study is to assess the impact of climate changes on Women's health.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Women's Health
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II

Detailed Description

Climate change is a major global health concern caused by both natural factors and human activities. Climate change including increased exposures to heat, poor air quality, extreme weather events, and altered vector-borne disease transmission, reduced water quality, and decreased food security. These effects directly and indirectly impact human well-being and undermine healthcare services .

Climate change has a significant impact on vulnerable communities, particularly women, who face increased dangers and vulnerabilities. Women often bear the responsibility for managing household affairs and essential resources, but they experience gender disparities in reproductive rights, education, and legal recourse, which are exacerbated during environmental disasters. Sociocultural traditions and familial obligations can prevent women from relocating to safer areas. Additionally, women are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence and are more likely to perish in disasters .

Climate change disproportionally affects women and girls due to systemic gender inequalities. Women's and girls' lower socio-economic status diminishes their ability to cope with climate change. Women represent 70% of the world's poor and are highly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods. 80% of people displaced by climate change are women.

Women are always seen as caretakers and caregivers in the household settings which makes them vulnerable when they are affected by floods, earthquakes and landslides. There are certain fundamental causes which are affecting women during natural disasters in all aspects as economic, social, ecological, political, physical, and emotional. Extreme weather events disrupt access to essential services by damaging or destroying facilities, infrastructure and medical supply chains, putting many women and girls at greater risk due to having to walk longer distances to access services or not being able to access them at all. o Reduced access to contraception and safe abortion services increases maternal mortality, as well as sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.

Egypt aims to create an environment where women and girls can thrive by promoting shared responsibilities, decision-making, and access to sexual and reproductive health services. The National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030 outlines key interventions to enhance reproductive health services, raise awareness about risks, and improve healthcare capacities. Climate change was included in the strategy' proposed interventions, to raising women's awareness how to cope and to take necessary protecting procedures, using appropriate environmentally friendly procedures, and training. Egypt's efforts align with the SDGs and demonstrate its commitment to creating a society with equal opportunities and rights for women. A conscious effort needs to be made to raise awareness of these effects and to combat the devastating effects of climate change to our world .Therefore, the current study will be assessing climate change effects on woman's health to disseminating gender-sensitive climate information to communities.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 400

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Dakahlia
    • Mansoura university, Dakahlia, Egypt, 35516
      • Basma Wageah Mohamed Mohamed Elrefay

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Sample Size: A representative sample of at least 400 participants will be assigned by simple random sampling technique from academic staff, under and postgraduate students, employees and worker's in El Mansoura and delta universities in the period from 1 august 2024 to the 30 November 2024, sample size was calculated using Open Epi I program at confidence interval 95% and power of 80%.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women and girls aging 18 to 60 years
• Working or studying in Al Mansura and Delta university for science and technology and residing in Dakahlia Governorate

Exclusion Criteria:

• known cases of chronic diseases as diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney diseases, hypertension …
• Women diagnosed to have mental illnesses as depression, personality disorders…
• Women residing outside Al Dakahlyea governorate
• Pregnant women

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
increasing awareness of global women climate vulnerability :	Sociodemographic and occupational characteristics of women:It assesses sociodemographic and occupational characteristics .; women climate vulnerability index: identify 12 risk categories across physical, economic and political sectors that affect women. these categories and attendant 51 risk indicators and will require a response on four -point likert rating scale as: one scale for assessing the likelihood of individual risk indicator (Frequent: 0.76-1; Probable: 0.51-0.75; Occasional: 0.26-0.5;Remote: 0-0.25) and one for the impact (Catastrophic: 0.76-1; Significant: 0.51-0.75;Moderate: 0.26-0.5; Low: 0-0.25) were used when converting the data into numbers and equations for measuring risk scores. Level of risk scores: very high: 7.51-10; high :5.01-7.5; medium :2.51-5.0; low: 0-2.5	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
increasing Women's health health promoting lifestyle behaviors	health promoting lifestyle behaviors: to measure health promoting lifestyle behaviors (HPLBs). It included fifty-two elements within six dimensions: "Physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, stress management, and health responsibility". Higher scores refer to higher adherence levels to healthier lifestyle behaviors. The total score ranged from (52 to 208). It used "a four-point likert scale", ranged from one (never) to four (routinely). The total score will be classified into four levels: Poor for the range 52-90; Moderate for the range 91-129.; Good for the range 130-168.; Excellent for the range 169-208.	3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Delta University for Science and Technology
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Basma Wageah elrefay, Lecturer of Nursing, Nursing, Faculty of nursing- Delta University for Science and Technology, Egypt

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• University of Notre Dame. (2021). Rankings // Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative // University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/rankings/
• Bonnefoi F.(2024) .Sea-Level Rise in the Nile Delta: Promoting Adaptation Through Circular Migration. Baker Institute. https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/sea-level-rise-nile-delta-promoting-adaptation-through-circular-migration

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 15, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 10, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): September 14, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 17, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 17, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): August 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 1, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 28, 2025
• Last Verified: September 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Women's health; climate change
• Other Study ID Numbers: climate and women health

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No