A GlobeScan Shared Research Initiative on Health and Well-being
How Climate Change Is Reshaping Health and Well-being
Health and well-being are shaped by many aspects of daily life, from access to care and healthy choices to the environmental conditions people experience every day. Increasingly, climate and environmental issues are influencing how people protect and maintain their health and well-being.
This report presents selected findings from GlobeScan’s Health & Well-being Shared Research Initiative, a collaborative research program designed to better understand how people experience health and well-being today, the factors that shape their everyday lives, and the role different institutions can play in supporting healthier lives. The initiative brought together organizations from a range of sectors to explore a common set of questions through shared research.
Based on a survey of 10,000 people across ten global markets, the broader study examined the factors that most influence health and well-being, barriers to maintaining it, the relationship between food and health, environmental and climate-related impacts, and trusted sources of health information. This report focuses specifically on the climate and environmental findings, exploring how these issues are affecting people’s health and well-being, how they are responding, and the challenges they expect in the future
Key findings include:
- Climate change is becoming a personal health issue – three in four people report at least one health impact they associate with climate or environmental change, and four in five have already changed a behavior in response. Extreme heat and poor air quality are the most widely reported impacts, prompting people to adjust their routines, avoid outdoor activity, and take steps to protect their health.
- Climate-related health impacts vary significantly across markets – extreme heat is the most widely reported issue in many markets, but air pollution leads in India and China, water-related challenges stand out in South Africa, and changes in allergens are most prominent in the USA. Local context shapes which climate-related health challenges people experience most.
- Generations share concerns about cost but anticipate different impacts – higher costs for everyday items that support health and well-being are a concern across all generations. Younger adults are more likely to anticipate stress and difficulty maintaining healthy routines. Older adults are more likely to expect heat-related health problems and increased pressure on healthcare services.
