Investigation of the relationship between environmental behavior and general well-being levels of engineering faculty students

In recent years, increasing environmental problems, especially pollution, ecological balance disruption and climate change, pose serious threats as a direct result of human activities. The basis of these problems is anthropogenic factors released into nature without taking measures to eliminate or reduce environmental risks. These environmental problems negatively affect not only ecosystems but also the physical, mental and social well-being of individuals. In this context, it is stated that individuals' attitudes and behaviors towards the environment contribute not only to environmental sustainability but also to individual well-being levels. The aim of this study is to determine the nature of the relationship between engineering faculty students' behaviors towards preventing pollution and elements causing climate change regarding environmental problems, their levels of responsibility towards natural resources in line with sustainable development goals and their general well-being levels. In addition, examining whether there are differences between environmental engineering students and students studying in other engineering departments in terms of environmental awareness and environmental behaviors is among the aims of the research. The research was conducted with the relational screening model, one of the quantitative research methods. The universe of the research consists of students continuing their university education in the 2024-2025 academic year; The sample consists of a total of 272 students studying in Environmental Engineering and other engineering departments at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. The data were collected using the "Environmental Behavior Scale" and "General Well-Being Scale - Short Form" and analyzed using the SPSS 28.0 program; frequency distributions, t-test and correlation analyses were applied. The significance level was accepted as .05. According to the research findings, a significant relationship was found between the gender of engineering faculty students and their environmental behaviors. A significant and positive relationship was also found between the environmental behaviors of university students' and their general well-being levels. This result reveals that environmentally sensitive individuals have higher well-being indicators not only at the ecological but also at the psychological level.