Parental Concerns About Climate Change in a Major United States City

Objective: To examine climate change concerns among parents in Chicago, a large and diverse urban setting that experiences climate change-related weather events and rising water levels which have the potential to affect more than 1 million children living in the city. Methods: We collected data through the Voices of Child Health in Chicago Parent Panel Survey from May to July 2021. Parents indicated their personal level of worry about climate change, concern about the impact of climate change on themselves and their families, and how well they understood the issue of climate change. Parents also provided demographic information. Results: Parents reported high levels of concern about climate change in general and specifically about the impact on their families. Logistic regression indicated that parents who were Latine/Hispanic (vs White) and those who felt they understood climate change well (vs less well) had higher odds of reporting high levels of concern. Parents with some college (vs high school education or below) had lower odds of high concern. Conclusions: Parents indicated high levels of concern about climate change and its potential impact on their families. These results can help inform pediatricians’ discussions with families about child health in the context of a changing climate.