The Relationship Between Climate Change Anxiety and Sustainable Consumption Behaviors in Adult Women

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between climate change anxiety and sustainable consumption behaviors among adult women.

This descriptive-correlational study was carried out with adult women who visited outpatient clinics at a training and research hospital located in a provincial center. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Sustainable Consumption Behavior Scale (SCBS), and the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS).

The mean age of the participants was 31.22 ± 11.97 years. In terms of exposure to climate-related events and natural disasters, 24.8% reported being exposed to earthquakes, 19.3% to forest fires and 11.5% to floods. Participants who reported having experienced climate-related events and natural disasters had significantly higher CCAS and SCBS scores (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the total CCAS score, including the sub-dimensions of anxiety and hopelessness, and the total SCBS score, along with its sub-dimensions: environmental sensitivity, non-essential purchasing, saving, and reusability. The structural equation model (SEM) demonstrated that climate change anxiety significantly and positively predicted all sub-dimensions of sustainable consumption behaviors, with the strongest effect on non-essential purchasing (β = 0.562, p < 0.001).

This study highlights that climate change anxiety serves as a psychological motivator for sustainable consumption among women. Public health nurses should integrate climate health literacy into community health assessments and design counseling programs that channel eco-anxiety into proactive environmental behaviors. Furthermore, nurses can play a pivotal role in advocating for gender-sensitive health policies that support both psychological well-being and climate resilience.