The relationship between industry 4.0 awareness and Artificial Intelligence anxiety in nursing and health sciences students: a cross-sectional correlational study

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Tekir Ö., Özsezer G.

JOURNAL OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND MEDICINE, cilt.9, sa.5, ss.1453-1460, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

Aims: To examine the association between industry 4.0 (I4.0) awareness and Artificial Intelligence (AI) anxiety among nursing and health sciences students. Methods: This cross-sectional correlational study used an online survey of 550 students enrolled in a faculty of health sciences (response rate: 48.5%). Data were collected using a personal information form, the I4.0 Conceptual Awareness Scale (I4.0-CAS), and the AI Anxiety Scale (AIAS). Results: The mean I4.0-CAS score was 122.52 +/- 35.81 (range: 30-195), and the mean AIAS score was 82.54 +/- 25.95 (range: 21-147). The association between I4.0-CAS and AIAS total scores was positive but very small (r=0.114, p=0.007). Among the AIAS subdimensions, only learning anxiety was significantly associated with I4.0-CAS scores (r=0.122, p=0.004). In the multiple regression model with I4.0-CAS as the dependent variable, the overall model was not statistically significant and explained little variance [F (4.545)=2.350, p=0.053; adjusted R2=0.010]. Learning anxiety had a small positive coefficient (standardized beta=0.118, p=0.023); the other subdimensions were not significant. Conclusion: I4.0 awareness and AI anxiety were both moderate, but their statistical association was very small. The cross-sectional findings do not establish direction or causality. Nursing and health sciences curricula should address AI literacy, ethical use, and anxiety together, with educational interventions evaluated prospectively.