Is Ecological Anxiety Due to Climate Change Associated With the Fertility Preferences of Women?


ÖZKAN A., KOLCU M., YILMAZ A., Akbaş G.

Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, cilt.31, sa.1, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 31 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/jep.14265
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: climate change, eco-anxiety, ecological anxiety, fertility
  • Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: Eco-anxiety caused by climate change, which is a significant public health problem, has negative effects on sexual and reproductive health, and these effects are expected to increase continuously. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between eco-anxiety caused by climate change and the fertility preferences of women. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted between June and August 2024 with 491 women at the ages of 18 to 49 who were registered at a family health center. A personal information form, the Attitudes toward Fertility and Childbearing Scale, and the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale were used to collect data. Results: The mean total AFCS score of the participants was 66.1 ± 14.2, while their mean total HEAS score was 27.1 ± 7.0. There was a weak negative correlation between the AFCS scores and HEAS scores of the participants (r = −0.124, p = 0.006). Conclusion: As the ecological anxiety levels of women increased, their attitudes toward childbearing became more negative.