Objective To develop a climate change health literacy assessment method suitable for the Chinese public, and to provide a scientific tool for quantitatively evaluating public health literacy in responding to climate change.

Methods Based on the national guideline document titled "Public Climate Change Health Literacy and Interpretation", and incorporating both domestic and international advances in health literacy research and expert opinions, a Public Climate Change Health Literacy Scale was developed. A population survey was conducted in 25 cities from May to December 2024 to test the reliability and validity of the scale.

Results The Public Climate Change Health Literacy Scale included a total of 30 items in the three dimensions of mastering basic knowledge and concepts, improving personal skills, and cultivating healthy lifestyles and behaviors. In the pilot survey, the test-retest reliability correlation coefficient was 0.83, the internal consistency reliability measured by Cronbach 's α coefficient was 0.85, and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index was 0.92 (Bartlett's test of sphericity, P < 0.05). In the formal survey, the Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.85, and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index was 0.91 (Bartlett's test of sphericity, P < 0.05), indicating stable reliability and validity with a high level of credibility.

Conclusion The scale developed in this study demonstrated good reliability and validity. It provides a standardized assessment tool for climate change health literacy and can be used to evaluate the level of public climate change health literacy.