Abstract A113: Attitudes towards climate change among cancer patients and caregivers in Puerto Rico
Authors: Ortiz Ana P. , Rivera-Gastón Fabiola A. , Pérez Jimena , Méndez-Lázaro Pablo A. 
Published: December 2023

Introduction: Climate Change is a significant public health problem. Cancer survivors are among the most vulnerable populations during extreme weather events. In this research we aimed to describe attitudes towards climate change among a Hispanics population of cancer patients and caregivers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among adults ≥21 years old living in Puerto Rico (PR). Data collection started on April 2023 and is ongoing. After informed consent, participants completed an online or printed survey including sociodemographic, clinical and climate change-related variables. Participants were recruited through activities aimed at cancer patients/survivors and caregivers in PR, cancer treatment and accommodation centers, social media and tv. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used to describe the outcomes of interest, overall and by type of participant (patient/caregiver). Logistic regression models used to assess demographic factors associated to individual attitudes. Results: From April 22nd-June 8th, 2023, the study has recruited 318 participants from 66 municipalities in PR. For patients, mean age is 56.3 years ±13.5 SD, 79.1% are women, and 85.4% have more than high-school education.  For caregivers, mean age is 45.3 years ±15.4 SD, 91.4% are women, and 92.7% have more than high-school education. Most participants agreed that climate change information is important to them (98.1%), 50.2% disagreed that climate change is inevitable and 90.2% disagreed that it is too early to tell whether climate change is really a problem. Meanwhile, 96.0% agreed that as an individual, they can influence climate change and 80.1% agreed that the government should reward the people who contribute to mitigating climate change. Furthermore, 83.3% agreed that investing in technological innovations is required to tackle climate change. Meanwhile, most participants believe that each individual (98.4%) as well as the government (99.0%) must take action to help reduce the impact of climate change on the population.  Finally, 17.3% agreed that they worked to make a living, even if it is to the environment’s detriment and 27.8% agreed that people have the right to change the environment to suit their own needs. Multivariate logistic regression models showed that individuals with more than high-school education were more likely to agree to be working to make a living, even if it is in the environment detriments (OR=2.94, 95% CI=1.19-7.25) and to agree that people have the right to change the environment to suit their own needs (OR=2.21, 95% CI=1.07-4.60) as compared to their counterparts. No differences were observed between patients and caregivers. Conclusions: This Hispanic population of patients and caregivers is concerned about climate change, is mostly interested in mitigating its effects and thinks that the government should be involved in these efforts. This information is important for cancer control plans and for interventions that target climate change and its impact on cancer populations.

Citation Format: Ana P. Ortiz, Fabiola A. Rivera-Gastón, Jimena Pérez, Pablo A. Méndez-Lázaro. Attitudes towards climate change among cancer patients and caregivers in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A113.