Hope or Anxiety for the Future? Associations of Climate Change Awareness and Hope With Eco-Anxiety Among Nursing Students
International Nursing Review, cilt.73, sa.2, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 73 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1111/inr.70195
- Dergi Adı: International Nursing Review
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Public Affairs Index, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: awareness, climate change, eco-anxiety, hope, nursing education, nursing students, planetary health
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Aim: To examine the effects of climate change awareness and hope on eco-anxiety among nursing students. Background: Climate change is an escalating global health crisis affecting both physical and mental health, including eco-anxiety. Understanding how awareness and hope shape nursing students’ emotional responses is essential for designing effective educational and support strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 312 nursing students in Turkey between March and June 2025. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. Results: Mean scores for the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale, the Global Climate Change Awareness Scale, and the Climate Change Hope Scale were 18.13 ± 8.98, 70.68 ± 12.87, and 33.86 ± 7.23, respectively. Regression analysis revealed that environmental sensitivity (β = 0.17), membership in environmental organizations (β = 0.18), awareness of health effects (β = 0.13), perceived health impacts (β = 0.09), daily precautionary behaviors (β = 0.19), and higher climate change awareness (β = 0.37) were significant positive predictors of eco-anxiety, whereas receiving climate change education (β = −0.17) and greater hope (β = −0.25) were significant negative predictors. Conclusion: While higher awareness was linked to increased eco-anxiety, greater hope was related to reduced eco-anxiety, suggesting that eco-anxiety may play a dual role as both an emotional burden and a motivator for pro-environmental engagement. Implications for nursing: Interactive, solution-focused, and hope-enhancing strategies should be integrated into nursing curricula to support students’ emotional adaptation to climate change. Implications for nursing policy: National nursing education policies should incorporate climate change competencies and psychosocial support frameworks to build a resilient and climate-aware nursing workforce.