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Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes
Open accessAbstract
Objective: This study examined the relationship between climate change awareness and belief in disaster preparedness among university students and explored the mediating role of social media use purposes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 418 university students. Data were collected using validated scales measuring climate change awareness, disaster preparedness belief, and social media use purposes. Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis (PROCESS Macro Model 4) were performed. Results: Climate change awareness was positively associated with both social media use purposes (r = .322, P < 0.001) and disaster preparedness belief (r = .307, P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that climate change awareness (B = 0.185, P < 0.001) and social media use purposes (B = 0.243, P < 0.001) significantly predicted disaster preparedness belief. Mediation analysis indicated that social media use purposes partially mediated the relationship between climate change awareness and preparedness belief. Conclusion: Higher climate change awareness was associated with stronger disaster preparedness beliefs among university students. Social media use purposes partially mediate this relationship and function as a complementary digital mechanism linking climate awareness to preparedness beliefs
Overview
CoChat Summary
TL;DR
In a cross-sectional survey of 418 university students in western Türkiye, climate change awareness was positively associated with disaster preparedness belief, and social media use purposes partially mediated this relationship. The authors interpret social media as a complementary digital mechanism rather than a primary determinant of preparedness belief.
Key findings
- Climate change awareness was positively correlated with social media use purposes (r = .322, P < 0.001) and disaster preparedness belief (r = .307, P < 0.001); social media use purposes were also positively correlated with disaster preparedness belief (r = .286, P < 0.001).
- In multiple linear regression controlling for age, gender, disaster training, personal disaster experience, and daily social media use, climate change awareness (B = 0.185, β = .214, P < 0.001) and social media use purposes (B = 0.243, β = .219, P < 0.001) significantly predicted disaster preparedness belief; the model was significant, F(7, 410) = 18.33, P < 0.001, R² = .238, adjusted R² = .225.
- Mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap samples showed a significant indirect effect (a × b = 0.058, 95% CI [0.0239, 0.0979]) and a significant direct effect (c′ = 0.207, P < 0.001), indicating partial mediation by social media use purposes.
- Mean scores were 114.17 ± 11.93 for the General Disaster Preparedness Belief Scale, 74.69 ± 13.83 for the Global Climate Change Awareness Scale, and 65.38 ± 10.74 for the Social Media Use Purposes Scale.
Methods
- Cross-sectional online survey conducted October 2025–January 2026 among university students at one university in western Türkiye; population was 46,748, minimum estimated sample size was 381, and 418 students participated via nonprobability convenience sampling.
- Measures included sociodemographic questions and validated scales: Global Climate Change Awareness Scale for University Students (21 items; Cronbach’s α = 0.898 in this study), General Disaster Preparedness Belief Scale (31 items; α = 0.828), and Social Media Use Purposes Scale (18 items; α = 0.883).
- Data were analyzed in SPSS 25.0 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis with PROCESS Macro Model 4 (5,000 bootstrap samples); significance was set at P < 0.05.
Limitations
- The paper states that the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, the single-university convenience sample may limit generalizability, self-report online survey methods may introduce response bias, and social media use was not examined by platform differences or content characteristics.
- Evident from the text: the mediation analysis is based on cross-sectional data, so temporal ordering between climate change awareness, social media use purposes, and preparedness belief cannot be established; preparedness is measured as belief rather than observed behavior, and climate anxiety/affective responses were not directly measured.
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Climate change awareness significantly predicted social media use purposes (path a: B = 0.250, P < 0.001), and social media use purposes significantly predicted disaster preparedness belief when controlling for climate change awareness (path b: B = 0.231, P < 0.001).”
§ Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes > Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The indirect effect was also significant (a × b = 0.058, 95% CI [0.0239, 0.0979]), indicating a partial mediating role of social media use purposes (Table 5).”
§ Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes > Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Climate change awareness significantly predicted social media use purposes (path a: B = 0.250, P < 0.001), and social media use purposes significantly predicted disaster preparedness belief when controlling for climate change awareness (path b: B = 0.231, P < 0.001).”
§ Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes > Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes
plainstates a cause- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In addition, social media use purposes showed a significant positive correlation with belief in disaster preparedness (r = .286,P < 0.001) (Table 3).”
§ Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes > Relationships Between Variables
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Climate change awareness (B = 0.185, β = .214,P < 0.001) and social media use purposes (B = 0.243, β = .219,P < 0.001) were significant positive predictors of disaster preparedness belief.”
§ Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes > Regression Analysis
plainstates an association- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
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- ConsistentF(7, 410) = 18.33reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“F(7, 410) = 18.33,p < .001”
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Citations
Cites
The Protective Action Decision Model: Theoretical Modifications and Additional Evidence
Lindell, M. K., & Perry, R. W. (2012) · Risk Analysis · doi:10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01647.x · Cited by 1,868
Houston, J. B., Hawthorne, J., Perreault, M. F., Park, E. H., Goldstein Hode, M., Halliwell, M. R., Turner McGowen, S. E., Davis, R., Vaid, S., McElderry, J. A., et al. (2015) · Disasters · doi:10.1111/disa.12092 · Cited by 869
Social media use in disaster recovery: A systematic literature review
Ogie, R. I., James, S., Moore, A., Dilworth, T., Amirghasemi, M., & Whittaker, J. (2022) · International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102783 · Cited by 169
Climate change anxiety: A meta-analysis
Kühner, C., Gemmecke, C., Hüffmeier, J., & Zacher, H. (2025) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2025.103015 · Cited by 88
İncesu, O., & Yaş, M. A. (2023) · Public Health Nursing · doi:10.1111/phn.13255 · Cited by 51
İLASLAN, N., & Orak, N. Ş. (2024) · BMC Nursing · doi:10.1186/s12912-024-02252-w · Cited by 30
Nguyen, T. T., Nguyen, D. C., Nguyen, C. T., Vu, T. M. T., Ngo, T., Pham, A. B. G., Tran, T. Q., Hoang, L. P., Dang, H., Boyer, L., et al. (2025) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-025-22337-8 · Cited by 29
The role of social media as a source of academic information for students
Handayani, F. N., Jalwis, J., & Prahatmaja, N. (2024) · Record and Library Journal · doi:10.20473/rlj.v10-i1.2024.103-111 · Cited by 18
Tatoğlu, M. (2025) · Afet ve Risk Dergisi · doi:10.35341/afet.1679395 · Cited by 6
Sosyal Medya Kullanım Amaçları Ölçeği: Üniversite Öğrencileri Üzerinde Bir Validasyon Çalışması
Ökten, M. S. (2023) · Mavi Atlas · doi:10.18795/gumusmaviatlas.1325896 · Cited by 5
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- Deniz, 2021, Awareness scale of university students about global climate change, Int J Geogr Geogr Educ., 43, 252
- 2022, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
- İnal, 2018, The development of a general disaster preparedness belief scale using the Health Belief Model as a theoretical framework, Int J Assess Tools Educ., 5, 146
- Wisner, 2004, At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability and Disasters
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- Topuz Eryürük, 2024, Social media use of higher education students in the earthquake disaster, Yükseköğretim Derg., 14, 317
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- 2021, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis
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Metadata
- Authors
- Öztürk, G., & Canlı, S.
- Affiliations
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi (TR)
- Corresponding author
- Öztürk, Göksel
- ORCID
- Öztürk, Göksel
- Venue
- Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2026
- Volume
- 20
- Pages
- e115-e115
- ISSN
- 1935-7893 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-744X
- OpenAlex
- W7163903484
- Semantic Scholar
- 8547d3a441b7bfd07d9e751017f4271eee6bb802
- Cited by
- 0
- References
- 11
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disaster Management and Resilience
- Social Sciences › Communication › Public Relations and Crisis Communication
- Keywords
- climate change awareness, disaster preparedness, motivations for social media use, university students, mediation, climate change and disasters
- MeSH terms
- Media Exposure, Digital Media, Adult, Awareness, Cross-Sectional Studies, Disaster Planning, Female, Humans, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Students, Turkey, Young Adult, Climate Change, Social Media
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- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1017/dmp.2026.10386
- The paper
- Öztürk, G., & Canlı, S. (2026). Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2026.10386
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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.
