Profile Analysis of Ecological Anxiety and its Relationship with Sustainable Environmental Awareness among a Sample of University Students
Abstract
The study aimed to estimate the relationship between environmental anxiety and sustainable environmental behavior among a sample of university students. The study was conducted following the climate changes that occurred during the summer of 2023, including some global climate phenomena (El Niño, heat dome) that led to environmental disasters such as fires in Europe, hurricanes in America, and dengue fever outbreaks. The study adopted a correlational method and the sample consisted of 200 students from the Faculty of Education in Ismailia, ranging in age from 18 to 43, from both undergraduate and graduate levels. Ecological anxiety scales and environmental identity scales were used to measure environmental behavior. The results showed a weak negative correlation between environmental identity and cognitive and emotional difficulties, while a weak positive correlation was found between behavioral correlation and environmental identity among university students. The study recommends the need to hold university seminars on the environment to raise awareness among students about environmental risks, green behavior, and reduce environmental anxiety resulting from lack of understanding and environmental awareness.
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