The Effect of Sustainable Development Awareness on Solid Waste Management Attitudes among Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the association between sustainable development awareness and attitudes toward solid waste management among healthcare workers. Method: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional descriptive study. Institutional approval was obtained from the local university ethics committee and the hospital where the study was conducted. The data for the study were collected face-to-face at a public hospital in a province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. Data were collected between July and August 2024, and 380 healthcare workers employed at the hospital were included in the study. Research data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Information Form, the Sustainable Development Awareness Scale, and the Solid Waste Management Scale in Healthcare Institutions. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used in the analysis of the data. Results: A statistically significant positive association was found between participants’ awareness of sustainable development and their attitudes toward solid waste management. Work schedule was significantly associated with sustainable development awareness, with daytime workers demonstrating higher awareness levels than shift workers (p < 0.05). Regarding attitudes toward solid waste management, marital status, voluntary choice of profession, department worked, and total professional experience were significantly associated with scale scores (p < 0.05). Weekly working hours, education level, and department worked were not significantly associated with sustainable development awareness (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicate that healthcare workers’ awareness of sustainable development is associated with more positive attitudes toward solid waste management. Although causal relationships cannot be established due to the cross-sectional design, the results suggest that educational and organizational strategies aimed at enhancing sustainability awareness may support environmentally responsible practices in healthcare institutions.