A train-the-trainer approach to build community resilience to the health impacts of climate change in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Communities in the Dominican Republic (DR) face increased natural disasters, poor air quality, food insecurity, and health impacts related to climate change. We evaluated the success of a train-the-trainer program to empower community leaders, women, and at-risk youth with the knowledge and skills to increase individual and community resilience in Cristo Rey, Dominican Republic. Three in-person two-day courses were conducted between July and August 2024 at the Universidad Iberoamericana. Each session included eight lectures and collaborative learning activities on climate change science, adaptation, resilience, and health impacts. Intra-group analyses comparing pre- and post-course surveys assessed participants’ climate change awareness, literacy, and communication and response skills. One hundred and four attendees participated in the survey study. Of the 100 participants with demographic data, 55% (n = 55) were 35 years old or younger, 70% (n = 70) identified as female, and 45% (n = 45) lived in Cristo Rey. The participants reported high baseline climate change awareness. Compared to before the course, the participants reported increased literacy regarding the environmental impacts of climate change relevant to the DR and the specific health impacts (p-value < 0.05) and increased climate change-related communication and response skills (p-value < 0.001). This study suggests competency-based, regional-specific courses deployed in a train-the-trainer model, have the potential to equip community members with knowledge to protect their health.