RESEARCH PAPER
AWARENESS AND BEHAVIORS OF STUDENTS AT A FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY CONCERNING HEALTH-RELATED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE STUDY
 
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1
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Kültür University, Istanbul, Türkiye
 
2
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Beykent University, Istanbul, Türkiye
 
 
Submission date: 2024-11-11
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-02-05
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-02-06
 
 
Publication date: 2025-03-05
 
 
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
The current study aims at assessing the awareness and behaviors of university students at a foundation university’s Faculty of Health Sciences regarding sustainable development goals.

Material and methods:
The research is cross-sectional and was conducted in the nursing, physiotherapy, and nutrition departments of the Faculty of Health Sciences between November-December 2022. The study sample consisted of 275 students. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using the Descriptive Data Form and the Sustainable Development Awareness Scale. SPSS Statistics 24.00 software was employed for data analysis.

Results:
Most participating students are between the ages of 18-24. More than half of the participants are concerned about the effects of climate change. They state that they save water and paper and that they prefer to use energy-saving devices. Although students' awareness level is high, their participation in environmental protection projects could be improved. It has been observed that nursing and female students have a higher awareness of sustainable development goals than male students in other departments.

Conclusions:
It’s crucial to formulate action plans concerning sustainable development goals for university students and encourage their implementation.
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