Physiological Responses to Environmental Changes and Their Impact on Human Health and Productivity: A Sustainable Development Perspective

Abstract

Environmental changes have become a major challenge affecting human health, occupational performance, and sustainable development, particularly within healthcare environments where professionals are continuously exposed to multiple environmental stressors. Despite growing interest in environmental sustainability, limited empirical evidence has examined the physiological mechanisms through which environmental changes influence health and productivity in developing healthcare systems. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of environmental changes on physiological responses and their subsequent impact on health, productivity, and sustainable development among healthcare professionals at Al-Bayda Medical Center, Libya. A quantitative descriptive–analytical design was adopted, and data were collected from 70 healthcare professionals using a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) through descriptive statistics, reliability and validity assessment, Pearson correlation, linear regression, bootstrap mediation analysis, and demographic comparison tests. The findings revealed that environmental changes significantly influenced physiological responses and exerted significant effects on health and productivity. Physiological responses partially mediated the relationships between environmental changes and both outcome variables, while productivity emerged as the strongest contributor to sustainable development. In addition, demographic characteristics explained significant differences across selected study constructs. The findings highlight the importance of improving workplace environmental conditions to protect employees’ physiological health, enhance productivity, and strengthen sustainable healthcare development. The study contributes context-specific evidence from the Libyan healthcare sector and provides practical implications for integrating environmental management with occupational health strategies to support long-term institutional sustainability.