Eco-Anxiety in Latin American Citizens: Description and Factors Associated With Concern About Climate Change

Résumé fourni par la source

Background: Climate change is an undeniable reality that is increasingly discussed globally. While eco-anxiety has been extensively studied in Europe and other developed countries, there is a lack of data from Latin America. Aims: To identify and describe the factors associated with eco-anxiety in Latin America. Method: A cross-sectional, multicenter study used a validated scale to measure eco-anxiety, adjusted for sex, age, education level, and country of residence. Descriptive and analytical statistics were employed to interpret the data. Among 3,320 participants, a significant portion expressed eco-anxiety, particularly when it was mentioned to affect an important place, interfere with concentration, disrupt work or studies, or cause difficulty sleeping (12%, 5%, 3%, and 3% strongly agreed with these statements, respectively). Results: Multivariate analysis revealed higher scores of eco-anxiety in Argentina (aRP: 2.06; 95% CI [1.45, 2.94]; p < 0.001), Colombia (aRP: 1.66; 95% CI [1.21, 2.29]; p = 0.002), and Ecuador (aRP: 1.40; 95% CI [1.01, 1.94]; p = 0.042). Conversely, eco-anxiety was lower among men (aRP: 0.88; 95% CI [0.81, 0.96]; p = 0.003) and those with postgraduate education (aRP: 0.72; 95% CI [0.59, 0.88]; p = 0.001), after adjusting for age. Conclusions: This is the first large-scale study to report significant eco-anxiety in Latin America, which is linked to factors such as country of residence, sex, and educational level.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.