Planetary-health literacy and mental wellbeing in Czech adolescents: insights from the HBSC survey 2022.

Abstract

Objectives: Planetary-health literacy (PHL), the knowledge, motivation and social support required to safeguard both human and environmental health, may help adolescents cope with climate-related distress and adopt sustainable behaviours. Evidence on the linkage between PHL and mental health from Central and Eastern Europe is lacking. The aim of the study was to describe PHL in Czech adolescents by sex, grade and family affluence, examine its association with mental-health indicators, and explore links with selected environment-relevant behaviours.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were drawn from the nationally representative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2022 survey (n = 4,195, 50.8% boys, ages 13 and 15 years). PHL was measured with an 11-item HBSC optional package yielding three sub-scales (knowledge, action, perceived pro-environmental social norms). Outcomes were wellbeing (WHO-5), life satisfaction (Cantril's ladder), and psychological complaints (HBSC symptom checklist). Fruit and vegetable intake plus cigarette and e-cigarette use served as behavioural correlates.

Results: Girls scored higher than boys on all PHL domains (Cohen d = 0.10-0.19). Thirteen-year-olds reported more action and stronger social norms than fifteen-year-olds (p < 0.001); socioeconomic gradients were small. In fully adjusted models, social norms were positively associated with wellbeing (β = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.12-1.72) and life satisfaction (β = 0.10, 0.08-0.13), and inversely with psychological complaints (β = -0.27, -0.33 to -0.21). Knowledge showed weak adverse relations with wellbeing and complaints, whereas action was associated with wellbeing only. Higher PHL related to daily fruit and vegetable consumption and inversely to intensive e-cigarette use; effect sizes were modest.

Conclusions: Perceived pro-environmental social norms appear most tightly related to adolescent mental health, while overall PHL is slightly associated with sustainable dietary patterns and lower use of e-cigarettes. School curricula that combine climate education with collaborative, action-oriented projects may therefore deliver co-benefits for planetary and psychological health in Central and Eastern Europe.