| Description |
Objectives: Environmental awareness is a global concern and there are few comparative studies of awareness among populations in different countries. The aim of this study was to investigate college students' knowledge of environmental concerns in the USA, Vietnam and China. Study design: Cross-national, cross-sectional study. Methods: US(n=429), Vietnamese (n=511) and Chinese (n=511) college students participated in a cross-sectional self-administered survey that included demographic characteristics; opinions, and knowledge regarding environmental awareness, environmental problems, and climate change. Results: Attitude and knowledge about environmental problems and climate change among college students varied between the three countries. US participants reported higher levels of knowledge of climate change and were more likely to believe that climate change was a serious problem. Chinese participants, in particular, did not appear to understand the seriousness of climate change. Vietnamese students reported to take part the most in environmental-related behaviors. Conclusions: While many of the college students are aware of different environmental problems and climate change, there seems to be a serious lack of understanding the importance of climate change among the Chinese students. This can depend on the students' majors as well. An increase of college courses dedicated to environmental awareness could help to better inform all college students, especially in iii China. United States and Vietnamese students reported similar results and understanding of serious environmental concerns. |
