Academic Journal
Healthcare professionals' awareness of climate change and its association with eco-anxiety and environmental sensitivity: a cross-sectional study.
| Τίτλος: | Healthcare professionals' awareness of climate change and its association with eco-anxiety and environmental sensitivity: a cross-sectional study. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Özdemir T; Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Gedik University, Pendik, Istanbul, Türkiye. tugbaozdemir321@gmail.com., Çetinol Taştemel T; Units Affiliated to the Rectorate, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, Türkiye., Karadağ G; Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Türkiye. |
| Πηγή: | BMC health services research [BMC Health Serv Res] 2026 Oct 01; Vol. 26 (1). Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Oct 01. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101088677 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1472-6963 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14726963 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Health Serv Res Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Health Personnel*/psychology , Anxiety*/psychology , Climate Change* , Awareness* , Attitude of Health Personnel*, Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Surveys and Questionnaires |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Healthcare professionals play an essential role in addressing the health impacts of climate change. Understanding how their awareness of climate issues and eco-anxiety relate to environmental sensitivity is critical for strengthening their capacity to respond to climate-related risks. This study aimed to examine the relationship between healthcare workers' climate change awareness, levels of eco-anxiety, and their environmental sensitivity. Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational design was employed. The study included 460 healthcare professionals aged 18 years or older working in clinical settings. Data were gathered using a socio-demographic form, the Environmental Sensitivity Scale, the Global Climate Change Awareness Scale, and the Eco-Anxiety Scale. Analyses were conducted using SPSS 24.0, including descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results: Healthcare professionals demonstrated moderate levels of climate change awareness and environmental sensitivity, while eco-anxiety levels were moderate. Regression analysis showed that awareness of global climate change, being a nurse, being aged 45 years or older, and membership in an environmental organization were significant predictors of environmental sensitivity, whereas the rumination sub-dimension of eco-anxiety showed only a marginal, non-significant association (p=0.064). Conclusions: The findings indicate that cognitive engagement with climate-related concerns, climate awareness, and certain demographic characteristics are associated with environmental sensitivity among healthcare professionals. Enhancing educational efforts, institutional support, and environmental policies may strengthen their capacity to address climate-related health risks and promote environmentally responsible practices in healthcare settings. (© 2026. The Author(s).) |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Ethical approval: The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was received from the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Health Sciences Ethics Committee to conduct the study (Decision No: 05/08, Date: 26.03.2025). Institutional permission was obtained from the Provincial Directorate of Health. Permission for use of scales in the study were obtained via e-mail. Written informed consent was obtained from the participants who agreed to participate in the study. Consent for publication: No individual identifying information is included in this manuscript. All participants provided informed consent, including consent for the anonymous use and publication of the data. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Awareness; Climate change; Eco-anxiety; Environmental sensitivity; Healthcare professionals |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20261009 Date Completed: 20261009 Latest Revision: 20261011 |
| Update Code: | 20261011 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13651324 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12913-026-15770-x |
| PMID: | 42850626 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1472-6963 |
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| DOI: | 10.1186/s12913-026-15770-x |