Does Environmental Literacy Affect Carbon Footprint Awareness? The Case of Nursing Students

Does Environmental Literacy Affect Carbon Footprint Awareness? 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The Case of Nursing Students Handan AYDIN KAHRAMAN, Ebru BOZCU This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7077994/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Climate change poses a substantial threat to global health and presents multifaceted challenges to healthcare systems. Addressing these issues requires the integration of environmental and planetary health concepts into nursing education, equipping future nurses with the competencies necessary for climate-responsive healthcare delivery. This study aims to examine the association between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 402 undergraduate nursing students from the Faculty of Health Sciences at a public university in eastern Turkey. Participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected voluntarily and anonymously using the “Environmental Literacy for Adults with Carbon Footprint Scale in Nursing Students.” Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed. Results The mean environmental literacy score was 79.01 ± 10.35. A statistically significant and moderately strong positive correlation was observed between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness [r (402) = .694, p < .001]. The regression analysis demonstrated that environmental literacy significantly predicted carbon footprint awareness (F (1, 401) = 371.608, p < .001), accounting for 48% of the variance (R = 0.698; R² = 0.480). Conclusion The results indicate that nursing students exhibit a high level of environmental literacy, which significantly contributes to their awareness of carbon footprints. Integrating environmental literacy into nursing curricula may enhance students’ abilities to effectively address the health implications of climate change. Carbon footprint awareness Climate change Environmental literacy Nursing education Nursing students Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Strategic initiatives, particularly in industrially developed nations, are increasingly targeting the intertwined crises of global energy demand, environmental degradation, and climate change. The processes of energy production and consumption are intrinsically linked to significant impacts on the environment, human health, and climate stability [ 1 ]. As the consequences of climate change transition from academic discourse to tangible realities for all societal segments, the need for environmentally literate individuals capable of making informed decisions about energy use has become critical [ 2 ]. In efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the United Nations has identified education as a key area for action, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goal of “Quality Education.” Enhanced public access to information in the digital age is a crucial step for improving environmental awareness and knowledge acquisition [ 3 ]. Concurrently, the widespread implementation of renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, bioenergy, and geothermal technologies, is essential for addressing climate change and its associated environmental challenges [ 4 ]. Heightened global concern over climate change has spurred interest in quantifying greenhouse gas emissions through the concept of the 'carbon footprint,' a term now widely used in policy and public discourse [ 5 , 6 ]. A carbon footprint represents the total carbon dioxide released from fossil fuel combustion during daily activities, and its magnitude is directly proportional to energy consumption in regions reliant on fossil fuels [ 7 ]. The carbon footprint is composed of two components: a primary footprint, comprising direct CO₂ emissions from household energy use and transportation, and a secondary footprint, which includes indirect emissions from the lifecycle of consumed goods [ 8 ]. Notably, individuals with higher incomes and industrialized nations have disproportionately larger carbon footprints, with substantial emissions originating from industrial sectors such as power generation, oil refining, and heavy manufacturing [ 9 ]. Activities lacking environmental responsibility, such as profit-driven operations without proper safeguards, intensify these emissions and contribute further to environmental degradation. At the organizational level, corporate carbon footprints are assessed to evaluate the environmental impact of business activities, typically on an annual basis [ 10 ]. The adoption of environmentally responsible production practices, often driven by consumer demand for sustainable products, is a key mechanism for reducing these corporate emissions, thereby supporting climate change mitigation efforts and enhancing planetary health [ 11 ]. Climate change is recognized as one of the most significant public health threats of the 21st century, contributing to thousands of deaths annually and directly influencing morbidity and mortality rates [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. The World Health Organization projects that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause a substantial increase in mortality from worsening health outcomes [ 15 ]. In this critical context, nurses, as trusted professionals responsible for public health, have an essential role in addressing these health consequences [ 16 , 17 ]. As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, nurses are uniquely positioned to lead sustainable practices, serve as role models for environmentally responsible care, and promote planetary health through education, advocacy, and direct action [ 18 , 19 ]. Frameworks such as the Ecological Planetary Health Model have been proposed to formally integrate climate change into nursing education and professional development [ 20 ]. As future healthcare providers, nursing students must be equipped to deliver environmentally sensitive and sustainable care. This necessitates a thorough assessment of their current awareness and strategies to enhance their environmental literacy [ 21 ]. While the concept of environmental literacy has gained prominence, a notable gap persists in the literature regarding studies that simultaneously investigate both environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness. This gap underscores the need for integrated research on these two interrelated concepts. Accordingly, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of environmental literacy on carbon footprint awareness among nursing students. Research Questions What is the level of environmental literacy among nursing students? What is the level of carbon footprint awareness among nursing students? Is there a significant relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness? Can environmental literacy predict carbon footprint awareness among nursing students? Methods Study Design and Setting This study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The reporting of this research adheres to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. The study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences of a public university located in eastern Turkey. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire during the 2024–2025 academic year. Purposes and Objectives The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students. Specifically, the study sought to determine the extent to which environmental literacy predicts carbon footprint awareness in this population Sampling and Data Collection A convenience sampling strategy was employed for participant recruitment. All eligible students were invited to participate in the study during their regular school hours. Prior to data collection, an informational session was held to explain the purpose and procedures of the research. Data were collected online via Google Forms®. Participation was entirely voluntary and anonymous, and informed consent was digitally obtained from each student before they began the survey. Sample Size Determination The minimum required sample size was calculated for a finite population of 542 students, assuming a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. The estimated sample size was 426 students. A total of 402 students completed the survey, yielding a response rate of approximately 74.2%, which was deemed adequate to ensure the statistical validity and reliability of the findings. Measures Data for this study were collected using a multi-part online questionnaire administered via Google Forms®. The questionnaire consisted of three main sections: (1) socio-demographic and environmental context questions, (2) the Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA), and (3) the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS). Socio-demographic and Environmental Context. This section collected data on participants' age, gender, perceived socio-economic class, and academic year. It also included questions regarding their self-perceived environmental responsibility, participation in environmental health-related activities, and prior knowledge of the carbon footprint concept. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire composed of two validated scales: The “Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults” The “Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale for Nursing Students” Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA). This scale, developed by Atabek-Yiğit et al. (2014), was used to measure participants' environmental literacy. It consists of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The scale is composed of three sub-dimensions: environmental consciousness, environmental concern, and environmental awareness. Items 3 and 16 are reverse-scored during the calculation of the total score. The total score ranges from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater environmental literacy. Score ranges are interpreted as follows: 20–46 points indicate low, 47–73 points indicate medium, and 74–100 points indicate a high level of environmental literacy. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale in this study was found to be 0.881 [ 22 ]. Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS). This scale was developed by Ustgor et al. (2024) to measure individuals' awareness of their environmental impact through greenhouse gas emissions. The scale includes 19 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, organized into five sub-dimensions: transportation (3 items), fuel consumption (3 items), electricity use (5 items), food consumption (5 items), and waste management (3 items). The scale demonstrated high internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.86. [ 23 ]. Table 1 Cronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficients of Scales and Sub-Dimensions Number of Items Reliability Coefficient Environmental Consciousness 9 0.792 Environmental Concern 6 0.824 Environmental Awareness 5 0.748 Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults Total 20 0.881 Transportation 3 0.762 Fuel Consumption 3 0.783 Electricity Consumption 5 0.851 Food Consumption 5 0.883 Waste Management 3 0.805 Carbon Footprint Scale Total 19 0.854 The internal consistency of the measurement tools was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results, as presented in Table 1 , confirmed the reliability of both scales and their respective sub-dimensions. The Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA) demonstrated high internal consistency with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.892. The reliability coefficients for its three sub-dimensions were as follows: Environmental Consciousness (α = 0.792), Environmental Concern (α = 0.824), and Environmental Awareness (α = 0.748). Similarly, the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS) showed high overall reliability (α = 0.854). Its sub-dimensions also yielded strong reliability coefficients: Transportation (α = 0.762), Fuel Consumption (α = 0.783), Electricity Consumption (α = 0.851), Food Consumption (α = 0.883), and Waste Management (α = 0.805). (Table 1 ). Overall, these values indicate acceptable to high internal consistency for all scales and sub-dimensions used in the study. Data analysis Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Mac, Version 27.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Descriptive statistics were calculated as means and standard deviations for continuous variables and as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. The normality of the data distribution was assessed by examining skewness and kurtosis values. According to the guidelines proposed by Tabachnick and Fidell (2013), data are considered approximately normally distributed if these values fall within the range of -1.5 to + 1.5. As the values for all scales and sub-dimensions were within this range, the assumption of normality was met. Consequently, parametric tests were employed for statistical analysis. Independent samples t-tests were used for comparisons between two groups, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied for comparisons involving more than two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between continuous variables, and simple linear regression was conducted to assess predictive relationships. Ethical considerations This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University (Approval No: 11/09/2024). Additionally, institutional permission was obtained from the head of the nursing department where the research was conducted. Informed consent was obtained digitally from all participants before they began the survey. Participants were presented with an information sheet explaining the study's purpose, the voluntary nature of their participation, and their right to withdraw at any time. They confirmed their consent by selecting the appropriate checkbox on the online form. To ensure anonymity, no personally identifiable information, such as names or IP addresses, was collected. The confidentiality and privacy of the participants were strictly maintained throughout the data collection and analysis process, and all data presented in this article are fully anonymized. Limitations and Challenges of the Study This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged. First, the findings are based on a sample from a single university in eastern Turkey, which may limit the generalizability of the results to students in different institutions or geographical regions. Second, the use of a convenience sampling method may introduce selection bias, and the sample may not be fully representative of the entire nursing student population. Furthermore, the study's cross-sectional design allows for the examination of associations but does not permit the inference of causality. Longitudinal studies would be needed to understand how these variables change over time. Finally, the data were collected through self-report questionnaires, which may be subject to social desirability bias, where participants might provide answers they believe are more socially acceptable. Results Characteristics of the study participants The descriptive characteristics of the students are shown in Table 2 . Table 2 Socio-demographic Variables of the Study Population Demographic Characteristics n % Gender Female 277 68,9 Male 125 31,1 Academic year 1° 106 26,4 2° 103 25,6 3° 110 27,4 4° 83 20,6 Age 18–21 268 66,7 22–26 129 32,1 27 and above 5 1,2 Socia-Economic Class Low 73 18,2 Medium 236 58,7 High 93 23,1 Do you think you are Environmentally Responsible? Yes 380 94,5 No 22 5,5 Would you participate in the work of voluntary organizations related to Environmental Health? Yes 243 60,4 No 159 39,6 Are you a member of any organization related to Environmental Health? Yes 93 23,1 No 309 76,9 Do you know about the carbon footprint? Yes 302 75,1 No 100 24,9 Total 402 100,0 The socio-demographic characteristics of the 402 participating nursing students are detailed in Table 2 . The sample was predominantly female (68.9%), with the majority of students (66.7%) aged between 18 and 21 years. The distribution across academic years was relatively even: 26.4% were first-year, 25.6% second-year, 27.4% third-year, and 20.6% fourth-year students. Regarding self-perceived socio-economic status, most participants (58.7%) identified as medium-level, followed by high (23.1%) and low (18.2%) levels. The participants' environmental profile revealed a high degree of awareness and engagement. A vast majority of students (94.5%) described themselves as environmentally sensitive, and a similar proportion (75.1%) reported having prior knowledge of the carbon footprint concept. In terms of active participation, 60.4% had engaged in voluntary activities related to environmental health. However, a smaller percentage (23.1%) were members of an environmental health-related organization (Table 2 ). In Table 3 , the minimum, maximum, mean scores and standard deviation values of the participants are given. Table 3 Descriptive Analysis Results of the Scales Used in the Research Min. Max. Mean Std. Deviation Score Range of the Scale Environmental Consciousness 19 45 36,08 5,163 9–45 Environmental Concern 8 30 24,37 3,658 6–30 Environmental Awareness 9 25 18,56 3,250 5–25 Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults Total 44 100 79,01 10,349 20–100 Transportation 3 15 10,24 1,933 3–15 Fuel Consumption 5 15 10,45 1,836 3–15 Electricity Consumption 5 25 19,30 3,641 5–25 Food Consumption 9 25 17,51 2,664 5–25 Waste Management 3 15 10,70 2,335 3–15 Carbon Footprint Scale Total 30 88 68,19 9,692 19–95 The descriptive statistics for the main scales and their sub-dimensions, including mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) values, are presented in Table 3 . The participants demonstrated a high level of environmental literacy, with a mean total score on the Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA) of 79.01 (SD = 10.35). An analysis of the sub-dimensions revealed mean scores of 36.08 (SD = 5.16) for Environmental Consciousness, 24.37 (SD = 3.66) for Environmental Concern, and 18.56 (SD = 3.25) for Environmental Awareness. For the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS), the students exhibited an above-average level of awareness, with a mean total score of 68.19 (SD = 9.69). The mean scores for the five sub-dimensions were as follows: Transportation (M = 10.24, SD = 1.93), Fuel Consumption (M = 10.45, SD = 1.84), Electricity Consumption (M = 19.30, SD = 3.64), Food Consumption (M = 17.51, SD = 2.66), and Waste Management (M = 10.70, SD = 2.34) (Table 3 ). Table 4 shows the results of the analysis conducted to compare the mean scores of the "Environmental Literacy for Adults" scale and the "Carbon Footprint" scale according to the demographic characteristics of the participants. Table 4 Comparison of the Mean Scores of the Environmental Literacy and Carbon Footprint Scales for Adults According to the Demographic Characteristics of the Students Variables n Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults Total Carbon Footprint Scale X ± SS X ± SS Gender Female 277 79,01 ± 10,241 67,76 ± 9,619 Male 125 79,02 ± 10,626 69,15 ± 9,821 t= -,008 p= ,994 t= -1,333 p= ,183 Academic year 1° 106 81,86 ± 9,402 70,01 ± 8,676 2° 103 80,38 ± 8,906 69,13 ± 9,030 3° 110 75,31 ± 11,607 65,47 ± 11,054 4° 83 78,58 ± 10,068 68,33 ± 9,153 F = 8,463 p 3 2 > 3 F = 4,572 p= ,004* 1 > 3 2 > 3 Age 18–21 268 79,13 ± 9,980 68,07 ± 9,583 22–26 129 78,47 ± 11,154 68,26 ± 10,045 27 and above 5 86,20 ± 5,586 73,00 ± 5,292 F = 1,403 p= ,247 F= ,639 p= ,529 Socia-Economic Class Low 73 80,11 ± 10,389 69,26 ± 10,728 Medium 236 79,30 ± 10,074 68,22 ± 9,151 High 93 77,42 ± 10,926 67,29 ± 10,184 F = 1,606 p= ,202 F= ,846 p= ,430 Environmental Sensitivity Yes 380 79,69 ± 10,048 68,75 ± 9,516 No 22 67,18 ± 8,227 58,59 ± 7,545 t = 5,729 p < .001 t = 4,916 p < .001 Participation in the Work of Voluntary Organizations Related to Environmental Health Yes 243 80,07 ± 10,402 69,40 ± 9,444 No 159 77,40 ± 10,086 66,36 ± 9,807 t = 2,546 p= ,011* t = 3,105 p= ,002* Status of Being a Member of Any Organization Related to Environmental Health Yes 93 78,24 ± 11,039 68,37 ± 9,335 No 309 79,24 ± 10,139 68,14 ± 9,810 t= -,822 p= ,412 t= ,194 p= ,846 Knowledge Status About Carbon Footprint Yes 302 79,74 ± 10,434 68,97 ± 9,521 No 100 76,80 ± 9,809 65,84 ± 9,868 t = 2,480 p= ,014* t = 2,827 p= ,005* *p < .05, t = Independent Groups T Texts, F = One-Way Variance (ANOVA) Analysis, r = Pearson Correlation In the “Environmental Literacy for Adults” scale, significant differences were found across several variables. A one-way ANOVA indicated a significant difference in environmental literacy scores by academic year (F = 8.463, p < .001). Post-hoc analyses revealed that first-year (M = 81.86, SD = 9.40) and second-year students (M = 80.38, SD = 8.91) scored significantly higher than third-year students (M = 75.31, SD = 11.61; p < .05). An independent samples t-test showed that students who identified as environmentally sensitive (M = 79.69, SD = 10.05) had significantly higher environmental literacy scores than those who did not (M = 67.00, SD = 8.23; t = 5.729, p < .001). Students who reported participating in voluntary activities related to environmental health had higher literacy scores (M = 80.07, SD = 10.40) than those who did not (M = 77.00, SD = 10.09; t = 2.546, p = .011). Participants with prior knowledge of the carbon footprint (M = 79.74, SD = 10.43) scored significantly higher than those without such knowledge (M = 76.00, SD = 9.81; t = 2.480, p = .014). No significant differences in environmental literacy were found based on gender, age, perceived socio-economic status, or membership in organizations related to environmental health (p > .05). In the “Carbon Footprint” scale, significant differences were identified based on several variables. A one-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference in carbon footprint awareness across academic years (F = 4.572, p = .004). Post-hoc analysis showed that first-year (M = 70.01, SD = 8.68) and second-year students (M = 69.13, SD = 9.03) had significantly higher awareness levels compared to third-year students (M = 65.47, SD = 11.05; p < .05). Students who reported being environmentally sensitive (M = 68.75, SD = 9.52) had significantly higher carbon footprint awareness scores than those who did not (M = 58.59, SD = 7.55; t = 4.916, p < .001). Participants involved in voluntary environmental health-related activities reported higher awareness levels (M = 69.40, SD = 9.44) than those who did not participate (M = 66.36, SD = 9.81; t = 3.105, p = .002). Students who had prior knowledge about the carbon footprint scored significantly higher (M = 68.97, SD = 9.52) than those without such knowledge (M = 65.84, SD = 9.87; t = 2.827, p = .005). No statistically significant differences in carbon footprint awareness were observed with respect to gender, age, socio-economic status, or membership in environmental health-related organizations (p > .05). (Table 4 ). Table 5 shows the results of the Pearson correlation analysis to determine the relationship between the "Environmental Literacy for Adults" scale and the "Carbon Footprint" scale. Table 5 Correlation Test Results for the Relationship Between the Scales Used in the Study Scale’s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (1) Environmental Consciousness r 1 p (2) Environmental Concern r ,687 1 p < .001 (3) Environmental Awareness r ,486 ,598 1 p < .001 < .001 (4) ELSA Total r ,895 ,884 ,768 1 p < .001 < .001 < .001 (5) Transportation r , 308 , 418 , 436 , 438 1 p < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 (6) Fuel Consumption r , 504 , 407 , 275 , 482 ,349 1 p < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 (7) Electricity Consumption r , 592 , 592 , 491 , 659 ,525 ,554 1 p < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 (8) Food Consumption r , 435 , 468 , 425 , 516 ,408 ,352 ,600 1 p < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 (9) Waste Management r , 345 , 479 , 576 , 522 ,450 ,244 ,637 ,600 1 p < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 (10) CFS Total r , 582 , 627 , 579 , 694 ,683 ,623 ,904 ,793 ,781 1 p < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 < .001 r = Pearson Correlation, ELSA = Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults, CFS = Carbon Footprint Scale A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between the scores on the Environmental Literacy for Adults (ELSA) scale and the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS). The detailed results of this analysis are presented in Table 5 . The primary analysis revealed a statistically significant, moderate positive correlation between the total scores of the ELSA and the CFAS (r = .694, p < .001). This finding indicates that higher levels of environmental literacy among nursing students are strongly associated with greater awareness of their carbon footprint. Further analysis of the sub-dimensions showed that all components of the two scales were positively and significantly correlated (all p < .001). Among the notable relationships, one of the strongest correlations was observed between the 'Electricity Consumption' sub-dimension of the CFAS and both the 'Environmental Consciousness' (r = .592) and 'Environmental Concern' (r = .592) sub-dimensions of the ELSA. Conversely, the weakest significant correlation was found between the 'Fuel Consumption' sub-dimension and the 'Environmental Awareness' sub-dimension (r = .275, p < .001). (Table 5 ) (Fig. 1 ). In summary, the graphical representations of the group comparisons distill the key findings of this study. The figures provide a clear, at-a-glance overview of the demographic and behavioral characteristics associated with statistically significant differences in environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness. Specifically, these variables include academic year, self-reported environmental sensitivity, participation in voluntary activities, and prior knowledge of the carbon footprint concept. Conversely, the visualizations also effectively demonstrate the lack of a significant association for other variables, namely gender, age, socio-economic status, and membership in an environmental organization (Fig. 1 ). Table 6 shows the results of multiple linear regression analysis to predict the level of carbon footprint awareness of environmental literacy sub-dimensions. Table 6 Results of Multiple Linear Regression Analyses for the Prediction of Carbon Footprint Awareness of Environmental Literacy Sub-Dimensions B SD β t p R R 2 F p Constant 17,138 2,676 6,405 < .001 ,700 ,486 127,165 < .001 Environmental Consciousness ,460 ,093 ,245 4,927 < .001 Environmental Concern ,756 ,144 ,285 5,269 < .001 Environmental Awareness ,864 ,134 ,290 6,431 < .001 To determine the predictive value of the different facets of environmental literacy, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed with the three sub-dimensions of the Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA) as predictors and the total score of the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS) as the outcome variable. The detailed results of this analysis are presented in Table 6 . The overall regression model was statistically significant, F(3, 399) = 127.165, p < .001, and accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in the outcome. The model explained 48.6% of the variance in carbon footprint awareness (R² = 0.486). An examination of the individual predictors revealed that all three sub-dimensions of environmental literacy were significant positive predictors of carbon footprint awareness. The standardized beta coefficients (β) indicated the relative contribution of each predictor: Environmental Awareness (β = 0.290, t = 6.431, p < .001) Environmental Concern (β = 0.285, t = 5.269, p < .001) Environmental Consciousness (β = 0.245, t = 4.927, p < .001) These results suggest that each dimension of environmental literacy uniquely contributes to a higher level of carbon footprint awareness among nursing students, with 'Environmental Awareness' having the strongest predictive influence (Table 6 ). Table 7 Results of Multiple Linear Regression Analyses for the Prediction of Environmental Literacy on Carbon Footprint Awareness B SD β t p R R 2 F p Constant 16,844 2,686 6,270 < .001 ,698 ,480 371,608 < .001 Environmental Literacy ,650 ,034 ,694 19,277 < .001 To assess whether environmental literacy could predict carbon footprint awareness, a simple linear regression analysis was conducted. The results of this analysis are presented in detail in Table 7 and visualized in Fig. 2 . The overall regression model was found to be statistically significant (F(1, 401) = 371.608, p < .001). The model demonstrated substantial predictive power, with environmental literacy accounting for 48% of the variance in carbon footprint awareness (R² = 0.480). The standardized regression coefficient confirmed that environmental literacy was a significant positive predictor of carbon footprint awareness (β = 0.694, t(402) = 19.277, p < .001). This result indicates that as students' environmental literacy scores increase, a corresponding and predictable increase in their carbon footprint awareness is observed. Based on the regression analysis, the predictive equation can be expressed as: Carbon Footprint Awareness = 0.650 × Environmental Literacy + 16.844 The regression line shows a statistically significant positive association between environmental literacy scores and carbon footprint awareness scores among nursing students. The regression equation, y = 0.650x + 16.844, indicates that higher environmental literacy predicts greater awareness of carbon footprint. The model accounts for approximately 48% of the variance (R² = 0.480) and supports the hypothesis that improving environmental literacy may enhance climate-related awareness in healthcare education contexts. Discussion This study provides critical evidence on the relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students, highlighting education's vital role in preparing a climate-responsive healthcare workforce. The primary findings indicate that students possess a high level of environmental literacy, which in turn is a significant positive predictor of their carbon footprint awareness. This section interprets these findings, contextualizes them within the existing literature, addresses unexpected results, and discusses the implications for nursing education and practice. Interpretation and Synthesis of Findings The high level of environmental literacy (M = 79.01) observed in our cohort is an encouraging finding. It aligns with several recent studies conducted among nursing students [ 21 , 25 – 28 ] but also contrasts with others that reported more moderate levels [ 29 , 30 ]. This high literacy may reflect the increasing integration of environmental health concepts into modern nursing curricula, where the environment is treated as a fundamental component of health [ 24 , 31 , 32 ]. The highest-scoring sub-dimension was environmental awareness, a finding also consistent with previous research, suggesting that students are generally well-informed about environmental issues [ 21 , 32 ]. Similarly, the students' above-average carbon footprint awareness is a positive outcome, especially given the limited research in this specific area. This result is congruent with studies on ecological footprint awareness among health sciences students and practicing nurses, which reported good or above-average levels of awareness [ 32 , 37 – 39 ]. These findings collectively suggest that future nurses are developing a foundational consciousness regarding the environmental impact of human activities. The Counterintuitive Finding: The Role of Academic Year One of the most intriguing findings of this study was that first and second-year students demonstrated significantly higher environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness than third-year students. This result is contrary to some studies where environmental literacy and awareness were found to increase with academic seniority [ 27 , 37 , 40 , 41 ]. Several hypotheses could explain this unexpected "sophomore slump": Curriculum Focus Foundational courses in the first two years may place a stronger emphasis on holistic health concepts, including environmental health, before the curriculum shifts to more intensive, specialized clinical training in the third year. Clinical Practice Overload The third academic year often marks a period of intense clinical immersion, which may lead students to prioritize immediate patient care skills over broader public and planetary health concepts. Initial Idealism Students in their early years of study may possess a higher degree of initial idealism and engagement with societal issues, which may temporarily wane under the pressures of advanced study. Further longitudinal research is warranted to explore these potential dynamics. Implications for Nursing Education, Practice, and Research The strong, positive relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness (r = .694) and the predictive power of the former on the latter (R² = 0.480) are the cornerstone findings of this study. This underscores that environmental literacy is not merely an abstract concept but a key, modifiable factor for enhancing climate consciousness in future health professionals. For Nursing Education Curricula should be intentionally designed to build upon students' existing awareness. This could include case studies linking clinical conditions to environmental factors, simulations on sustainable healthcare practices, and integrating planetary health frameworks, such as the Ecological Planetary Health Model [ 20 ], into core nursing courses. For Nursing Practice Nurses with high environmental literacy can act as powerful advocates for sustainability within healthcare settings, promoting initiatives such as waste reduction, energy conservation, and sustainable procurement. For Future Research This study highlights several avenues for future inquiry. Longitudinal studies are needed to track how students' awareness evolves throughout their education and into their professional careers. Furthermore, interventional research testing the effectiveness of specific educational programs on environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness would provide valuable evidence for curriculum development. Conclusion In conclusion, this study provides definitive evidence that environmental literacy is a significant and powerful predictor of carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students. The findings demonstrate a robust positive relationship, suggesting that as students' understanding of environmental issues deepens, so does their consciousness of their personal environmental impact. This study's primary contribution lies in identifying environmental literacy as a key, modifiable factor that can be targeted through educational interventions to foster a more climate-conscious nursing workforce. Therefore, strategically integrating comprehensive environmental and planetary health education into nursing curricula is not merely beneficial but essential for equipping future nurses with the competencies required to lead in an era of climate change. Abbreviations CO₂ Carbon dioxide SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Declarations Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate This study was approved by the Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Ethics Committee for Research (Approval No: 11/09/2024). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all participants after they were informed about the purpose of the study. Participation was entirely voluntary, and it was clearly stated that students could withdraw from the study at any time without providing any reason. Each participant electronically confirmed their consent by ticking the corresponding checkbox before participating in the research. During the collection and analysis of data, the confidentiality of the participants was protected, and no personally identifiable data was collected. Consent for publication Not applicable. This manuscript does not contain any individual person’s data in any form (including individual details, images or videos). Availability of data and materials The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request Competing Interests The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funding Not applicable Author’s Contributions HAK: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Data curation, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. EB: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Clinical Trial Statement Clinical trial number: not applicable. Acknowledgments The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the nursing students who voluntarily participated in this study. References Aruta JJBR, Guinto RR. 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Development and validation of Environmental Literacy Scale for adults (ELSA). J Baltic Sci Educ. 2014;13(3):425–35. 10.33225/jbse/14.13.425 . Ustgorul S, Akkaya B, Palazzo M, et al. Development and validation of Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale for boosting sustainable circular economy. Sustainability. 2024;16:8199. 10.3390/su16188199 . Demirtas N, Akbulut MC, Ozsen ZS. A study on environmental literacy of university students: case of Beypazarı vocational school. J Anatol Environ Anim Sci. 2018;3(1):27–33. 10.35229/jaes.392248 . Dagal M, Kılıc HF. Environmental literacy levels of nursing students: a descriptive study. Turk Klin J Nurs Sci. 2023;15(3):698–705. 10.5336/nurses.2023-95323 . Kılıc HF, Dağ Canatan S, Abic A, Gok ND. Evaluating the relationship between nursing students' environmental awareness and sensitivity and their environment literacy. J Educ Res Nurs. 2024;21(1):58–64. 10.14744/jern.2023.54614 . Cengiz B, Bahar Z. The characteristics of university students on environmental attitude and environmental literacy level: Example of Faculty of Nursing. Fenerbahçe Univ J Health Sci. 2023;3(2):161–74. 10.56061/fbujohs.1210065 . Âmin SM, El-Monshed AH, Khedr MA, et al. Future nurses in a changing climate: exploring the relationship between environmental literacy and climate anxiety. J Adv Nurs. 2024;0:1–12. 10.1111/jan.16606 . Kapan R, Gurel TY. An evaluation of the environmental literacy levels of nursing students in Turkey. Health Sci Q. 2022;2(3):139–48. 10.26900/jsp.2.3.07 . Ors M. A measurement of the environmental literacy of nursing students for a sustainable environment. Sustainability. 2022;14(17):11003. 10.3390/su141711003 . Koç A, Çorapçıgil A, Doğru M. Investigation of environmental literacy levels of prospective science teachers. J Educ New Approaches. 2018;1(1):39–52. Yıldız TK, Ulusoy H, Sarıcoban S. Determination of ecological footprint awareness and environmental literacy levels of faculty of health sciences students. Instıtute Health Sci J. 2023;8(3):476–83. Arnon S, Orion N, Carmi N. Environmental literacy components and their promotion by institutions of higher education: an Israeli case study. Environ Educ Res. 2015;21(7):1029–55. 10.1080/13504622.2014.966656 . Senyuva E, Bodur G. Views of university students regarding nuclear plants and their levels of environmental literacy. J Kırşehir Educ Fac. 2016;17(1):19–37. Veisi H, Lacy M, Mafakheri S, et al. Assessing environmental literacy of university students: A case study of Shahid Beheshti University in Iran. Appl Environ Educ Commun. 2019;18(1):25–42. 10.1080/1533015X.2018.1431163 . Uyar A, Temiz A. Determination of environmental literacy levels of classroom teachers and its analysis with regard to some variables. J Int Soc Res. 2019;12(66):954–61. Öz HS, Şen S. 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The Case of Nursing Students","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eStrategic initiatives, particularly in industrially developed nations, are increasingly targeting the intertwined crises of global energy demand, environmental degradation, and climate change. The processes of energy production and consumption are intrinsically linked to significant impacts on the environment, human health, and climate stability [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. As the consequences of climate change transition from academic discourse to tangible realities for all societal segments, the need for environmentally literate individuals capable of making informed decisions about energy use has become critical [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the United Nations has identified education as a key area for action, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goal of \u0026ldquo;Quality Education.\u0026rdquo; Enhanced public access to information in the digital age is a crucial step for improving environmental awareness and knowledge acquisition [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. Concurrently, the widespread implementation of renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, bioenergy, and geothermal technologies, is essential for addressing climate change and its associated environmental challenges [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHeightened global concern over climate change has spurred interest in quantifying greenhouse gas emissions through the concept of the 'carbon footprint,' a term now widely used in policy and public discourse [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]. A carbon footprint represents the total carbon dioxide released from fossil fuel combustion during daily activities, and its magnitude is directly proportional to energy consumption in regions reliant on fossil fuels [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. The carbon footprint is composed of two components: a primary footprint, comprising direct CO₂ emissions from household energy use and transportation, and a secondary footprint, which includes indirect emissions from the lifecycle of consumed goods [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. Notably, individuals with higher incomes and industrialized nations have disproportionately larger carbon footprints, with substantial emissions originating from industrial sectors such as power generation, oil refining, and heavy manufacturing [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. Activities lacking environmental responsibility, such as profit-driven operations without proper safeguards, intensify these emissions and contribute further to environmental degradation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the organizational level, corporate carbon footprints are assessed to evaluate the environmental impact of business activities, typically on an annual basis [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. The adoption of environmentally responsible production practices, often driven by consumer demand for sustainable products, is a key mechanism for reducing these corporate emissions, thereby supporting climate change mitigation efforts and enhancing planetary health [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClimate change is recognized as one of the most significant public health threats of the 21st century, contributing to thousands of deaths annually and directly influencing morbidity and mortality rates [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. The World Health Organization projects that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause a substantial increase in mortality from worsening health outcomes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. In this critical context, nurses, as trusted professionals responsible for public health, have an essential role in addressing these health consequences [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, nurses are uniquely positioned to lead sustainable practices, serve as role models for environmentally responsible care, and promote planetary health through education, advocacy, and direct action [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e]. Frameworks such as the Ecological Planetary Health Model have been proposed to formally integrate climate change into nursing education and professional development [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs future healthcare providers, nursing students must be equipped to deliver environmentally sensitive and sustainable care. This necessitates a thorough assessment of their current awareness and strategies to enhance their environmental literacy [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. While the concept of environmental literacy has gained prominence, a notable gap persists in the literature regarding studies that simultaneously investigate both environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness. This gap underscores the need for integrated research on these two interrelated concepts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccordingly, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of environmental literacy on carbon footprint awareness among nursing students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResearch Questions\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is the level of environmental literacy among nursing students?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is the level of carbon footprint awareness among nursing students?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eIs there a significant relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eCan environmental literacy predict carbon footprint awareness among nursing students?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStudy Design and Setting\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The reporting of this research adheres to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. The study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences of a public university located in eastern Turkey. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire during the 2024\u0026ndash;2025 academic year.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePurposes and Objectives\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students. Specifically, the study sought to determine the extent to which environmental literacy predicts carbon footprint awareness in this population\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSampling and Data Collection\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA convenience sampling strategy was employed for participant recruitment. All eligible students were invited to participate in the study during their regular school hours. Prior to data collection, an informational session was held to explain the purpose and procedures of the research. Data were collected online via Google Forms\u0026reg;. Participation was entirely voluntary and anonymous, and informed consent was digitally obtained from each student before they began the survey.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSample Size Determination\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe minimum required sample size was calculated for a finite population of 542 students, assuming a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. The estimated sample size was 426 students. A total of 402 students completed the survey, yielding a response rate of approximately 74.2%, which was deemed adequate to ensure the statistical validity and reliability of the findings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasures\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eData for this study were collected using a multi-part online questionnaire administered via Google Forms\u0026reg;. The questionnaire consisted of three main sections: (1) socio-demographic and environmental context questions, (2) the Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA), and (3) the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSocio-demographic and Environmental Context.\u003c/b\u003e This section collected data on participants' age, gender, perceived socio-economic class, and academic year. It also included questions regarding their self-perceived environmental responsibility, participation in environmental health-related activities, and prior knowledge of the carbon footprint concept.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data were collected using a structured questionnaire composed of two validated scales:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026ldquo;Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026ldquo;Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale for Nursing Students\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA).\u003c/b\u003e This scale, developed by Atabek-Yiğit et al. (2014), was used to measure participants' environmental literacy. It consists of 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The scale is composed of three sub-dimensions: environmental consciousness, environmental concern, and environmental awareness. Items 3 and 16 are reverse-scored during the calculation of the total score. The total score ranges from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater environmental literacy. Score ranges are interpreted as follows: 20\u0026ndash;46 points indicate low, 47\u0026ndash;73 points indicate medium, and 74\u0026ndash;100 points indicate a high level of environmental literacy. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale in this study was found to be 0.881 [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS).\u003c/b\u003e This scale was developed by Ustgor et al. (2024) to measure individuals' awareness of their environmental impact through greenhouse gas emissions. The scale includes 19 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, organized into five sub-dimensions: transportation (3 items), fuel consumption (3 items), electricity use (5 items), food consumption (5 items), and waste management (3 items). The scale demonstrated high internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.86. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficients of Scales and Sub-Dimensions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber of Items\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReliability\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoefficient\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Consciousness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.792\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.824\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Awareness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.748\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Literacy Scale for Adults Total\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.881\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTransportation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.762\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFuel Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.783\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eElectricity Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.851\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFood Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.883\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWaste Management\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.805\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarbon Footprint Scale Total\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.854\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe internal consistency of the measurement tools was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results, as presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, confirmed the reliability of both scales and their respective sub-dimensions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA) demonstrated high internal consistency with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.892. The reliability coefficients for its three sub-dimensions were as follows: Environmental Consciousness (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.792), Environmental Concern (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.824), and Environmental Awareness (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.748).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS) showed high overall reliability (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.854). Its sub-dimensions also yielded strong reliability coefficients: Transportation (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.762), Fuel Consumption (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.783), Electricity Consumption (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.851), Food Consumption (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.883), and Waste Management (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.805). (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOverall, these values indicate acceptable to high internal consistency for all scales and sub-dimensions used in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec2\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eData were analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Mac, Version 27.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Descriptive statistics were calculated as means and standard deviations for continuous variables and as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe normality of the data distribution was assessed by examining skewness and kurtosis values. According to the guidelines proposed by Tabachnick and Fidell (2013), data are considered approximately normally distributed if these values fall within the range of -1.5 to +\u0026thinsp;1.5. As the values for all scales and sub-dimensions were within this range, the assumption of normality was met.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsequently, parametric tests were employed for statistical analysis. Independent samples t-tests were used for comparisons between two groups, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied for comparisons involving more than two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between continuous variables, and simple linear regression was conducted to assess predictive relationships.\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEthical considerations\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University (Approval No: 11/09/2024). Additionally, institutional permission was obtained from the head of the nursing department where the research was conducted.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformed consent\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003ewas obtained digitally from all participants before they began the survey. Participants were presented with an information sheet explaining the study's purpose, the voluntary nature of their participation, and their right to withdraw at any time. They confirmed their consent by selecting the appropriate checkbox on the online form. To ensure anonymity, no personally identifiable information, such as names or IP addresses, was collected. The confidentiality and privacy of the participants were strictly maintained throughout the data collection and analysis process, and all data presented in this article are fully anonymized.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLimitations and Challenges of the Study\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study has several limitations that should be acknowledged. First, the findings are based on a sample from a single university in eastern Turkey, which may limit the generalizability of the results to students in different institutions or geographical regions. Second, the use of a convenience sampling method may introduce selection bias, and the sample may not be fully representative of the entire nursing student population.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, the study's cross-sectional design allows for the examination of associations but does not permit the inference of causality. Longitudinal studies would be needed to understand how these variables change over time. Finally, the data were collected through self-report questionnaires, which may be subject to social desirability bias, where participants might provide answers they believe are more socially acceptable.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCharacteristics of the study participants\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe descriptive characteristics of the students are shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocio-demographic Variables of the Study Population\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDemographic Characteristics\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31,1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAcademic year\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26,4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25,6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e110\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27,4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20,6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18\u0026ndash;21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e268\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e66,7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u0026ndash;26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e129\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32,1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27 and above\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1,2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSocia-Economic Class\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18,2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58,7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23,1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDo you think you are Environmentally Responsible?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e380\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e94,5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5,5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWould you participate in the work of voluntary organizations related to Environmental Health?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e243\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60,4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e159\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39,6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre you a member of any organization related to Environmental Health?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23,1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e309\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e76,9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDo you know about the carbon footprint?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e302\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75,1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24,9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTotal\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e402\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e100,0\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe socio-demographic characteristics of the 402 participating nursing students are detailed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. The sample was predominantly female (68.9%), with the majority of students (66.7%) aged between 18 and 21 years. The distribution across academic years was relatively even: 26.4% were first-year, 25.6% second-year, 27.4% third-year, and 20.6% fourth-year students. Regarding self-perceived socio-economic status, most participants (58.7%) identified as medium-level, followed by high (23.1%) and low (18.2%) levels.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe participants' environmental profile revealed a high degree of awareness and engagement. A vast majority of students (94.5%) described themselves as environmentally sensitive, and a similar proportion (75.1%) reported having prior knowledge of the carbon footprint concept. In terms of active participation, 60.4% had engaged in voluntary activities related to environmental health. However, a smaller percentage (23.1%) were members of an environmental health-related organization (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, the minimum, maximum, mean scores and standard deviation values of the participants are given.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDescriptive Analysis Results of the Scales Used in the Research\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMin.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMax.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStd. Deviation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eScore Range of the Scale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Consciousness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36,08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5,163\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e9\u0026ndash;45\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24,37\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3,658\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e6\u0026ndash;30\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Awareness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18,56\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3,250\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5\u0026ndash;25\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Literacy Scale for Adults Total\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10,349\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e20\u0026ndash;100\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTransportation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10,24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1,933\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3\u0026ndash;15\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFuel Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10,45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1,836\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3\u0026ndash;15\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eElectricity Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19,30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3,641\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5\u0026ndash;25\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFood Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17,51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2,664\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5\u0026ndash;25\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWaste Management\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10,70\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2,335\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3\u0026ndash;15\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarbon Footprint Scale Total\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e88\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9,692\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e19\u0026ndash;95\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe descriptive statistics for the main scales and their sub-dimensions, including mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) values, are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe participants demonstrated a high level of environmental literacy, with a mean total score on the Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA) of 79.01 (SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.35). An analysis of the sub-dimensions revealed mean scores of 36.08 (SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.16) for Environmental Consciousness, 24.37 (SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.66) for Environmental Concern, and 18.56 (SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.25) for Environmental Awareness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS), the students exhibited an above-average level of awareness, with a mean total score of 68.19 (SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.69). The mean scores for the five sub-dimensions were as follows: Transportation (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.24, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.93), Fuel Consumption (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.45, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.84), Electricity Consumption (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;19.30, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.64), Food Consumption (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;17.51, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.66), and Waste Management (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.70, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.34) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e shows the results of the analysis conducted to compare the mean scores of the \"Environmental Literacy for Adults\" scale and the \"Carbon Footprint\" scale according to the demographic characteristics of the participants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComparison of the Mean Scores of the Environmental Literacy and Carbon Footprint Scales for Adults According to the Demographic Characteristics of the Students\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental Literacy Scale for Adults Total\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarbon Footprint Scale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eX\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eX\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,241\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67,76\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,619\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,02\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,626\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69,15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,821\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et= -,008\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,994\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et= -1,333\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,183\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAcademic year\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e81,86\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,402\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70,01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8,676\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80,38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8,906\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69,13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,030\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e110\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75,31\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11,607\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65,47\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11,054\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u0026deg;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78,58\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,068\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,153\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eF\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8,463\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eF\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4,572\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep= ,004*\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18\u0026ndash;21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e268\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,980\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,583\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u0026ndash;26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e129\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78,47\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11,154\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,26\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,045\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27 and above\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e86,20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5,586\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e73,00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5,292\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eF\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1,403\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,247\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eF= ,639\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,529\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSocia-Economic Class\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80,11\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,389\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69,26\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,728\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMedium\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,074\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,151\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e77,42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,926\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67,29\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,184\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eF\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1,606\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,202\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eF= ,846\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,430\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Sensitivity\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e380\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,69\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,048\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,75\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,516\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67,18\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8,227\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58,59\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7,545\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003et\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5,729\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003et\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4,916\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eParticipation in the Work of Voluntary Organizations Related to Environmental Health\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e243\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80,07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,402\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69,40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,444\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e159\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e77,40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,086\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e66,36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,807\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003et\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2,546\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep= ,011*\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003et\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3,105\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep= ,002*\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStatus of Being a Member of Any Organization Related to Environmental Health\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78,24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11,039\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,37\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,335\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e309\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,139\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,14\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,810\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et= -,822\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,412\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et= ,194\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ep= ,846\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKnowledge Status About Carbon Footprint\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e302\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79,74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10,434\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68,97\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,521\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e76,80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,809\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65,84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9,868\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003et\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2,480\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep= ,014*\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003et\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2,827\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ep= ,005*\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"4\"\u003e*p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.05, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Independent Groups T Texts, F\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;One-Way Variance (ANOVA) Analysis, r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Pearson Correlation\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the \u0026ldquo;Environmental Literacy for Adults\u0026rdquo; scale, significant differences were found across several variables. A one-way ANOVA indicated a significant difference in environmental literacy scores by academic year (F\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8.463, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). Post-hoc analyses revealed that first-year (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;81.86, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.40) and second-year students (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;80.38, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8.91) scored significantly higher than third-year students (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;75.31, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;11.61; p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.05). An independent samples t-test showed that students who identified as environmentally sensitive (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;79.69, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.05) had significantly higher environmental literacy scores than those who did not (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;67.00, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8.23; t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.729, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). Students who reported participating in voluntary activities related to environmental health had higher literacy scores (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;80.07, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.40) than those who did not (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;77.00, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.09; t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.546, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.011). Participants with prior knowledge of the carbon footprint (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;79.74, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10.43) scored significantly higher than those without such knowledge (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;76.00, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.81; t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.480, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.014). No significant differences in environmental literacy were found based on gender, age, perceived socio-economic status, or membership in organizations related to environmental health (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the \u0026ldquo;Carbon Footprint\u0026rdquo; scale, significant differences were identified based on several variables. A one-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference in carbon footprint awareness across academic years (F\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.572, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.004). Post-hoc analysis showed that first-year (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;70.01, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;8.68) and second-year students (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;69.13, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.03) had significantly higher awareness levels compared to third-year students (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;65.47, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;11.05; p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.05). Students who reported being environmentally sensitive (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;68.75, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.52) had significantly higher carbon footprint awareness scores than those who did not (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;58.59, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.55; t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.916, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). Participants involved in voluntary environmental health-related activities reported higher awareness levels (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;69.40, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.44) than those who did not participate (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;66.36, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.81; t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.105, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.002). Students who had prior knowledge about the carbon footprint scored significantly higher (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;68.97, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.52) than those without such knowledge (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;65.84, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.87; t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.827, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.005). No statistically significant differences in carbon footprint awareness were observed with respect to gender, age, socio-economic status, or membership in environmental health-related organizations (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;.05). (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e shows the results of the Pearson correlation analysis to determine the relationship between the \"Environmental Literacy for Adults\" scale and the \"Carbon Footprint\" scale.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCorrelation Test Results for the Relationship Between the Scales Used in the Study\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"12\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eScale\u0026rsquo;s\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(1) Environmental Consciousness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(2) Environmental Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,687\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(3) Environmental Awareness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,486\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,598\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(4) ELSA Total\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,895\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,884\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,768\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(5) Transportation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e308\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e418\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e436\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e438\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(6) Fuel Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e504\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e407\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e275\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e482\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,349\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(7) Electricity Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e592\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e592\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e491\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e659\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,525\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,554\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(8) Food Consumption\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e435\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e468\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e425\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e516\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,408\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,352\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,600\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(9) Waste Management\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e345\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e479\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e576\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e522\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,450\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,244\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,637\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,600\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(10) CFS Total\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003er\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e582\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e627\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e579\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,\u003cb\u003e694\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,683\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,623\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,904\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,793\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,781\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c12\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"12\"\u003er\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Pearson Correlation, ELSA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults, CFS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Carbon Footprint Scale\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between the scores on the Environmental Literacy for Adults (ELSA) scale and the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS). The detailed results of this analysis are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe primary analysis revealed a statistically significant, moderate positive correlation between the total scores of the ELSA and the CFAS (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.694, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). This finding indicates that higher levels of environmental literacy among nursing students are strongly associated with greater awareness of their carbon footprint.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurther analysis of the sub-dimensions showed that all components of the two scales were positively and significantly correlated (all p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). Among the notable relationships, one of the strongest correlations was observed between the 'Electricity Consumption' sub-dimension of the CFAS and both the 'Environmental Consciousness' (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.592) and 'Environmental Concern' (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.592) sub-dimensions of the ELSA. Conversely, the weakest significant correlation was found between the 'Fuel Consumption' sub-dimension and the 'Environmental Awareness' sub-dimension (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.275, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn summary, the graphical representations of the group comparisons distill the key findings of this study. The figures provide a clear, at-a-glance overview of the demographic and behavioral characteristics associated with statistically significant differences in environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness. Specifically, these variables include academic year, self-reported environmental sensitivity, participation in voluntary activities, and prior knowledge of the carbon footprint concept. Conversely, the visualizations also effectively demonstrate the lack of a significant association for other variables, namely gender, age, socio-economic status, and membership in an environmental organization (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e shows the results of multiple linear regression analysis to predict the level of carbon footprint awareness of environmental literacy sub-dimensions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResults of Multiple Linear Regression Analyses for the Prediction of Carbon Footprint Awareness of Environmental Literacy Sub-Dimensions\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"10\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConstant\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17,138\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2,676\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6,405\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,700\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,486\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e127,165\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Consciousness\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,460\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,093\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,245\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4,927\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Concern\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,756\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,144\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,285\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5,269\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Awareness\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,864\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,134\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,290\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6,431\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo determine the predictive value of the different facets of environmental literacy, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed with the three sub-dimensions of the Environmental Literacy Scale for Adults (ELSA) as predictors and the total score of the Carbon Footprint Awareness Scale (CFAS) as the outcome variable. The detailed results of this analysis are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe overall regression model was statistically significant, F(3, 399)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;127.165, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001, and accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in the outcome. The model explained 48.6% of the variance in carbon footprint awareness (R\u0026sup2; = 0.486).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn examination of the individual predictors revealed that all three sub-dimensions of environmental literacy were significant positive predictors of carbon footprint awareness. The standardized beta coefficients (β) indicated the relative contribution of each predictor:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Awareness\u003c/b\u003e (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.290, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.431, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Concern\u003c/b\u003e (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.285, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.269, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Consciousness\u003c/b\u003e (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.245, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.927, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese results suggest that each dimension of environmental literacy uniquely contributes to a higher level of carbon footprint awareness among nursing students, with 'Environmental Awareness' having the strongest predictive influence (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResults of Multiple Linear Regression Analyses for the Prediction of Environmental Literacy on Carbon Footprint Awareness\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"10\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eR\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConstant\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16,844\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2,686\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6,270\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,698\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,480\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c9\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e371,608\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnvironmental Literacy\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,650\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,034\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e,694\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19,277\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo assess whether environmental literacy could predict carbon footprint awareness, a simple linear regression analysis was conducted. The results of this analysis are presented in detail in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e and visualized in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe overall regression model was found to be statistically significant (F(1, 401)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;371.608, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). The model demonstrated substantial predictive power, with environmental literacy accounting for 48% of the variance in carbon footprint awareness (R\u0026sup2; = 0.480).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe standardized regression coefficient confirmed that environmental literacy was a significant positive predictor of carbon footprint awareness (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.694, t(402)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;19.277, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). This result indicates that as students' environmental literacy scores increase, a corresponding and predictable increase in their carbon footprint awareness is observed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on the regression analysis, the predictive equation can be expressed as:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarbon Footprint Awareness\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.650 \u0026times; Environmental Literacy\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;16.844\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe regression line shows a statistically significant positive association between environmental literacy scores and carbon footprint awareness scores among nursing students. The regression equation, y\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.650x\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;16.844, indicates that higher environmental literacy predicts greater awareness of carbon footprint. The model accounts for approximately 48% of the variance (R\u0026sup2; = 0.480) and supports the hypothesis that improving environmental literacy may enhance climate-related awareness in healthcare education contexts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study provides critical evidence on the relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students, highlighting education's vital role in preparing a climate-responsive healthcare workforce. The primary findings indicate that students possess a high level of environmental literacy, which in turn is a significant positive predictor of their carbon footprint awareness. This section interprets these findings, contextualizes them within the existing literature, addresses unexpected results, and discusses the implications for nursing education and practice.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterpretation and Synthesis of Findings\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe high level of environmental literacy (M\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;79.01) observed in our cohort is an encouraging finding. It aligns with several recent studies conducted among nursing students [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR26 CR27\" citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e] but also contrasts with others that reported more moderate levels [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. This high literacy may reflect the increasing integration of environmental health concepts into modern nursing curricula, where the environment is treated as a fundamental component of health [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. The highest-scoring sub-dimension was environmental awareness, a finding also consistent with previous research, suggesting that students are generally well-informed about environmental issues [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilarly, the students' above-average carbon footprint awareness is a positive outcome, especially given the limited research in this specific area. This result is congruent with studies on ecological footprint awareness among health sciences students and practicing nurses, which reported good or above-average levels of awareness [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR38\" citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]. These findings collectively suggest that future nurses are developing a foundational consciousness regarding the environmental impact of human activities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Counterintuitive Finding: The Role of Academic Year\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the most intriguing findings of this study was that first and second-year students demonstrated significantly higher environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness than third-year students. This result is contrary to some studies where environmental literacy and awareness were found to increase with academic seniority [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e]. Several hypotheses could explain this unexpected \"sophomore slump\":\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCurriculum Focus\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eFoundational courses in the first two years may place a stronger emphasis on holistic health concepts, including environmental health, before the curriculum shifts to more intensive, specialized clinical training in the third year.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical Practice Overload\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe third academic year often marks a period of intense clinical immersion, which may lead students to prioritize immediate patient care skills over broader public and planetary health concepts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInitial Idealism\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eStudents in their early years of study may possess a higher degree of initial idealism and engagement with societal issues, which may temporarily wane under the pressures of advanced study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFurther longitudinal research is warranted to explore these potential dynamics.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eImplications for Nursing Education, Practice, and Research\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe strong, positive relationship between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.694) and the predictive power of the former on the latter (R\u0026sup2; = 0.480) are the cornerstone findings of this study. This underscores that environmental literacy is not merely an abstract concept but a key, modifiable factor for enhancing climate consciousness in future health professionals.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor Nursing Education\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurricula should be intentionally designed to build upon students' existing awareness. This could include case studies linking clinical conditions to environmental factors, simulations on sustainable healthcare practices, and integrating planetary health frameworks, such as the Ecological Planetary Health Model [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e], into core nursing courses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor Nursing Practice\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurses with high environmental literacy can act as powerful advocates for sustainability within healthcare settings, promoting initiatives such as waste reduction, energy conservation, and sustainable procurement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor Future Research\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study highlights several avenues for future inquiry. Longitudinal studies are needed to track how students' awareness evolves throughout their education and into their professional careers. Furthermore, interventional research testing the effectiveness of specific educational programs on environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness would provide valuable evidence for curriculum development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, this study provides definitive evidence that environmental literacy is a significant and powerful predictor of carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students. The findings demonstrate a robust positive relationship, suggesting that as students' understanding of environmental issues deepens, so does their consciousness of their personal environmental impact. This study's primary contribution lies in identifying environmental literacy as a key, modifiable factor that can be targeted through educational interventions to foster a more climate-conscious nursing workforce. Therefore, strategically integrating comprehensive environmental and planetary health education into nursing curricula is not merely beneficial but essential for equipping future nurses with the competencies required to lead in an era of climate change.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCO₂\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarbon dioxide\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSPSS\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatistical Package for the Social Sciences\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics Approval and Consent to Participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was approved by the Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Ethics Committee for Research (Approval No: 11/09/2024). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformed consent was obtained from all participants after they were informed about the purpose of the study. Participation was entirely voluntary, and it was clearly stated that students could withdraw from the study at any time without providing any reason. Each participant electronically confirmed their consent by ticking the corresponding checkbox before participating in the research. During the collection and analysis of data, the confidentiality of the participants was protected, and no personally identifiable data was collected.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable. This manuscript does not contain any individual person’s data in any form (including individual details, images or videos).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no conflicts of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor’s Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHAK:\u003c/strong\u003e Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Data curation, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review \u0026amp; editing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEB:\u003c/strong\u003e Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review \u0026amp; editing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical Trial Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClinical trial number: not applicable.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the nursing students who voluntarily participated in this study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAruta JJBR, Guinto RR. 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J ROL Sport Sci. 2022;3(1):52\u0026ndash;62. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.29228/roljournal.54994\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.29228/roljournal.54994\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Carbon footprint awareness, Climate change, Environmental literacy, Nursing education, Nursing students","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7077994/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7077994/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eClimate change poses a substantial threat to global health and presents multifaceted challenges to healthcare systems. Addressing these issues requires the integration of environmental and planetary health concepts into nursing education, equipping future nurses with the competencies necessary for climate-responsive healthcare delivery. This study aims to examine the association between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness among undergraduate nursing students.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional study was conducted involving 402 undergraduate nursing students from the Faculty of Health Sciences at a public university in eastern Turkey. Participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected voluntarily and anonymously using the \u0026ldquo;Environmental Literacy for Adults with Carbon Footprint Scale in Nursing Students.\u0026rdquo; Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mean environmental literacy score was 79.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10.35. A statistically significant and moderately strong positive correlation was observed between environmental literacy and carbon footprint awareness [r (402)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.694, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001]. The regression analysis demonstrated that environmental literacy significantly predicted carbon footprint awareness (F (1, 401)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;371.608, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001), accounting for 48% of the variance (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.698; R\u0026sup2; = 0.480).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results indicate that nursing students exhibit a high level of environmental literacy, which significantly contributes to their awareness of carbon footprints. Integrating environmental literacy into nursing curricula may enhance students\u0026rsquo; abilities to effectively address the health implications of climate change.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Does Environmental Literacy Affect Carbon Footprint Awareness? The Case of Nursing Students","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-18 09:02:41","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7077994/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f1a217d7-78af-4433-a27b-21de77972e68","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 18th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-10-06T05:08:58+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-18 09:02:41","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7077994","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7077994","identity":"rs-7077994","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}