Climate Change Worry and Environmental Sensitivity Among Nursing Students

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between nursing students' worry about climate change and their environmental sensitivity. Design and Method: This research is a descriptive and correlational study. It was conducted with 432 nursing students. The data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Climate Change Worry Scale, and the Environmental Sensitivity Scale. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation), independent groups t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean score of nursing students on Climate Change Worry Scale was 30.74 ± 6.92, and the mean score on the Environmental Sensitivity Scale was 4.24 ± 0.44. A statistically significant moderate negative correlation was found between nursing students’ worry about climate change and their level of environmental sensitivity (r = −0.694, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The study revealed a moderate negative correlation between climate change worry and environmental sensitivity among nursing students. Reducing worry about climate change and enhancing environmental sensitivity may enable the students to take an active role in protecting public health in their professional careers.