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Category: Project

Description: Background: Climate change is a paramount global health threat with multifaceted health implications. Societal change is required to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, as well as help people adapt to the associated health risks. This requires situation-specific, large-scale data that can help identify the relevant areas for policymaking and communication. Such behavioral data can help scientists and policymakers understand public perceptions and behaviors, as well as identify the levers to increase public readiness to act (RTA) against climate change and protect their health. The Planetary Health Action Survey (PACE) explores RTA, integrating individual behavior, policy acceptance, and political participation as its key indicators and determinants. The survey seeks to develop and refine an integrated conceptual model of RTA, create valid corresponding measurement instruments, and implement them in monitoring. This contribution serves as the study protocol for PACE. Methods: In cross-sectional data collections, a comprehensive set of sociocognitive factors, including climate change knowledge, trust in institutions, perceived health risks, self-efficacy, social norms, and perceived effectiveness of policy measures, are assessed. The online questionnaire is updated regularly and involves a nonprobabilistic quota sample from the German population (N ≈ 1,000 at each data collection). Discussion: PACE contributes to a comprehensive understanding of tackling climate change and related health risks by considering the different facets relevant to societal change. In addition, it allows for observing changes over time and adjustments to the model, as well as including current topics and debates. It provides a broad foundation for future health and crisis communication. PACE contributes to informing climate change and health communication, policymaking, and interventions by providing insights into the multidimensional factors influencing RTA against climate change.