Impact of climate change awareness on undergraduates’ socio-emotional well-being in Nigeria

Abstract

Students’ living conditions may suffer as a result of climate change. This research examined the impact of climate change awareness on undergraduates’ beliefs about socio-emotional well-being in Nigeria. The total number of undergraduate students in Kwara state made up the study’s population, with the sample size being 589. The Climate Change and Mental Wellbeing Questionnaire (CCMWQ) was used to collect data from randomly selected undergraduate participants for the study. The acquired data was evaluated using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and PPMC at a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that most undergraduates are aware of climate change but have little understanding of its origins, effects, and preventive strategies. The results further revealed that the undergraduates’ level of climate change awareness influences their beliefs about their socio-emotional wellbeing. At different ages, participants’ opinions on how climate change would affect their socio-emotional health varied dramatically. Similarly, a correlation exists between climate change awareness and beliefs about socio-emotional well-being and awareness and attitude towards protecting the environment.