Bridging the gap: environmental health literacy as key to adolescent well-being and sustainable behaviors

Margarida Gaspar de Matos; Cátia Branquinho; Leonor Domingos; Fabio Botelho Guedes; Ana Cerqueira; Tania Gaspar

doi:10.3390/su17083594

Bridging the gap: environmental health literacy as key to adolescent well-being and sustainable behaviors

Margarida Gaspar de Matos^*, Cátia Branquinho, Leonor Domingos, Fabio Botelho Guedes, Ana Cerqueira, Tania Gaspar

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Adolescents who possess environmental health literacy are more equipped to handle the effects of the environment on their health. This study uses data from Portugal’s 2022 HBSC survey to investigate the environmental health literacy (EHL) of teenagers. The Environmental Health Literacy Scale (EHLS) was verified by confirmatory component analysis. Within the framework of an ecosystem, this study investigates factors related to health and well-being. There are 7355 adolescents in the sample. EHLS_Social Norms and participation in volunteering activities were found to be significant predictors of EHL_Knowledge, which explained 25.2% of the variance in the final model. EHLS_Social Norms and EHLS_Knowledge accounted for 42.9% of the variance in EHL_Behaviors, while school grade was adversely connected with pro-environmental behavior. While actions and knowledge were major positive predictors, gender and school grades showed negative relationships, and EHL_Social Norms accounted for 46% of the variance. This study establishes a valid measure of environmental health literacy in adolescents, informing science education strategies and public health interventions.

Original language	English
Article number	3594
Number of pages	15
Journal	Sustainability
Volume	17
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083594
Publication status	Published - 16 Apr 2025

Keywords

HBSC survey
Adolescents
Behaviors
Environmental health literacy scale
Gender differences
Knowledge
School grade differences
Social norms

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/su17083594Licence: CC BY

118430898Final published version, 889 KBLicence: CC BY

CRC-W: Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing
Almeida, L. (Researcher), André, G. (Researcher), Arriaga, M. (Researcher), Benavente, R. (Researcher), Benvinda, M. S. (Researcher), Bolinhas, I. (Researcher), Branco, F. (Researcher), Brito, R. (Researcher), Carmo, B. (Researcher), Carvalho, A. (Researcher), Carvalhosa, S. F. (Researcher), Cláudio, A. P. (Researcher), Costa, P. (Researcher), Deus, P. N. D. (Researcher), Dias, P. (Researcher), Diogo, E. (Researcher), Esteves, F. (Researcher), Faria, A. R. (Researcher), Farias, A. R. (Researcher), Fialho, J. (Researcher), Francisco, R. (Researcher), Gaspar, A. (Researcher), Gaspar, R. (Researcher), Godinho, C. (Researcher), Godinho, P. (Researcher), Gonçalves, J. (Researcher), Guerra, I. (Researcher), Jesus, A. P. (Researcher), Lagarto, J. R. (Researcher), Maruta, C. (Researcher), Melo, R. (Researcher), Monteiro, D. (Researcher), Nazaré, B. (Researcher), Negrão, M. (Researcher), Nogueira, S. I. (Researcher), Oliveira, A. (Researcher), Paiva, M. T. (Researcher), Pedro, M. (Researcher), Pinto, H. R. (Researcher), Pinto, J. C. (Researcher), Prioste, A. (Researcher), Ramalho, S. C. (Researcher), Reis, C. (Researcher), Sacur, B. M. (Researcher), Santos, R. P. D. (Researcher), Silva, A. J. (Researcher), Silva, C. V. D. (Researcher), Simão, C. (Researcher), Teixeira, P. (Researcher) & Veiga, E. (Researcher)
1/01/19 → 31/12/25
Project: Other

Cite this

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title = "Bridging the gap: environmental health literacy as key to adolescent well-being and sustainable behaviors",

abstract = "Adolescents who possess environmental health literacy are more equipped to handle the effects of the environment on their health. This study uses data from Portugal{\textquoteright}s 2022 HBSC survey to investigate the environmental health literacy (EHL) of teenagers. The Environmental Health Literacy Scale (EHLS) was verified by confirmatory component analysis. Within the framework of an ecosystem, this study investigates factors related to health and well-being. There are 7355 adolescents in the sample. EHLS\_Social Norms and participation in volunteering activities were found to be significant predictors of EHL\_Knowledge, which explained 25.2\% of the variance in the final model. EHLS\_Social Norms and EHLS\_Knowledge accounted for 42.9\% of the variance in EHL\_Behaviors, while school grade was adversely connected with pro-environmental behavior. While actions and knowledge were major positive predictors, gender and school grades showed negative relationships, and EHL\_Social Norms accounted for 46\% of the variance. This study establishes a valid measure of environmental health literacy in adolescents, informing science education strategies and public health interventions.",

keywords = "HBSC survey, Adolescents, Behaviors, Environmental health literacy scale, Gender differences, Knowledge, School grade differences, Social norms",

author = "Matos, \{Margarida Gaspar de\} and C{\'a}tia Branquinho and Leonor Domingos and Guedes, \{Fabio Botelho\} and Ana Cerqueira and Tania Gaspar",

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year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "16",

doi = "10.3390/su17083594",

language = "English",

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AU - Matos, Margarida Gaspar de

AU - Branquinho, Cátia

AU - Domingos, Leonor

AU - Guedes, Fabio Botelho

AU - Cerqueira, Ana

AU - Gaspar, Tania

PY - 2025/4/16

Y1 - 2025/4/16

N2 - Adolescents who possess environmental health literacy are more equipped to handle the effects of the environment on their health. This study uses data from Portugal’s 2022 HBSC survey to investigate the environmental health literacy (EHL) of teenagers. The Environmental Health Literacy Scale (EHLS) was verified by confirmatory component analysis. Within the framework of an ecosystem, this study investigates factors related to health and well-being. There are 7355 adolescents in the sample. EHLS_Social Norms and participation in volunteering activities were found to be significant predictors of EHL_Knowledge, which explained 25.2% of the variance in the final model. EHLS_Social Norms and EHLS_Knowledge accounted for 42.9% of the variance in EHL_Behaviors, while school grade was adversely connected with pro-environmental behavior. While actions and knowledge were major positive predictors, gender and school grades showed negative relationships, and EHL_Social Norms accounted for 46% of the variance. This study establishes a valid measure of environmental health literacy in adolescents, informing science education strategies and public health interventions.

AB - Adolescents who possess environmental health literacy are more equipped to handle the effects of the environment on their health. This study uses data from Portugal’s 2022 HBSC survey to investigate the environmental health literacy (EHL) of teenagers. The Environmental Health Literacy Scale (EHLS) was verified by confirmatory component analysis. Within the framework of an ecosystem, this study investigates factors related to health and well-being. There are 7355 adolescents in the sample. EHLS_Social Norms and participation in volunteering activities were found to be significant predictors of EHL_Knowledge, which explained 25.2% of the variance in the final model. EHLS_Social Norms and EHLS_Knowledge accounted for 42.9% of the variance in EHL_Behaviors, while school grade was adversely connected with pro-environmental behavior. While actions and knowledge were major positive predictors, gender and school grades showed negative relationships, and EHL_Social Norms accounted for 46% of the variance. This study establishes a valid measure of environmental health literacy in adolescents, informing science education strategies and public health interventions.

KW - HBSC survey

KW - Adolescents

KW - Behaviors

KW - Environmental health literacy scale

KW - Gender differences

KW - Knowledge

KW - School grade differences

KW - Social norms

U2 - 10.3390/su17083594

DO - 10.3390/su17083594

M3 - Article

SN - 2071-1050

VL - 17

JO - Sustainability

JF - Sustainability

IS - 8

M1 - 3594

ER -

Bridging the gap: environmental health literacy as key to adolescent well-being and sustainable behaviors

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Projects

CRC-W: Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing

Cite this