RESEARCH
South American Validation of a Survey to Assess Eco-Anxiety in Adults
Summary
This research paper focuses on validating a survey to measure eco-anxiety, which is anxiety caused by concerns about climate change, in adults across South America. Eco-anxiety is becoming increasingly recognized as a significant issue due to growing awareness of climate change’s impacts. The study used a survey originally developed in the United States and adapted it for use in South America. It involved 1,907 participants from six countries: Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. The goal was to create a simple tool that could effectively assess eco-anxiety in diverse populations.
The study found that after refining the survey, only four questions were needed to efficiently measure eco-anxiety. The validation process involved expert reviews and statistical analysis to ensure the survey’s reliability and effectiveness. The results showed that the refined survey had good statistical properties, making it suitable for use in assessing eco-anxiety across different age groups, ethnicities, and realities. This tool can be valuable for identifying individuals experiencing eco-anxiety and providing them with appropriate support.