Evaluation of university students' anxiety, knowledge level and awareness about climate change

This study aimed to examine university students' knowledge, awareness, anxiety, environmental behavior, hope levels for preventing climate change and related factors about climate change. This cross-sectional study was conducted among senior students of 32 departments affiliated with 10 faculties of Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University in the 2023-2024 academic year between 01.06.2023 and 01.03.2024. 1723 students participated in the study. More than half of the participants 63.6% (n=1095) are women, 97.4% (n=1679) are Turkish citizens, 89.5% (n=1542) live in urban areas and 30.2% (n=521) are smokers. 81.3% (n=1401) of the participants believed that climate change and its health effects are real and 50.7% (n=874) stated that their health was physically or psychologically affected by climate change. Participants received an average of 3.28 ± 0.70 points from the global climate change awareness scale, 19.95 ± 8.54 points from the climate change anxiety scale, and 39.05 ± 6.64 points from the climate change hope scale. Awareness and hope scores were higher among women, those who took courses on climate change, those who believed in climate change, and those affected by climate change (p<0,05 for each). Climate change anxiety was found to be increased by living in rural areas by 1.563 times (1.122 – 2.178), taking a course on climate change by 1.559 times (1.055 – 2.305), being partially affected by climate change by 2.186 times (1.582 – 3.021), and being affected by climate change by 2.812 times (2.045 – 3.867). Those positive for generalized anxiety disorder had 1,409 (1,150 – 1,725) higher levels of climate change anxiety than those without. Compared to those with low awareness, those with medium levels of awareness had 1,847 times (1,245 – 2,741) and those with higher levels of awareness had 3,600 times (2,358 – 5,497) more climate change anxiety. In light of the findings of our study, it is thought that the knowledge, awareness levels, environmental behavior scores, and emotion levels felt due to climate change among university students will not be sufficient to struggle climate change. We believe that the education programs to be organized can increase students' knowledge and awareness levels and make significant contributions to the fight against climate change and an increase in environmental behavior.