Association of Socioeconomic Status and Pro-Environmental Behaviors in the Citizens of Gorgan, Iran (2017)

Background and objectives: Environmental pollution is a major cause of various diseases. Massive production of hospital, industrial and household wastes lead to several health issues, threatening community health on a daily basis. The present study aimed to determine the association between socioeconomic status and pro-environmental behaviors in the citizens of Gorgan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 400 citizens of Gorgan. Participants were divided into three regions based on urban categorization. Data were collected using demographic and socioeconomic questionnaires. To assess environmental behaviors, a standard questionnaire was used based on the Dunlap spectrum. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using the analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-test and factor analysis. Results: No positive significant correlation was observed between gender and environmental behaviors. The results of ANOVA showed a significant association between marital status and environmental behaviors. In addition, the results of factor analysis indicated that five factors explained 55.49% of environmental behaviors. The results of ANOVA also demonstrated that middle-class citizens had a more responsible attitude toward the environment compared to others (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, socioeconomic status influenced the social value orientations and responsible behaviors of individuals toward the environment. Therefore, increasing the quality of life and providing comprehensive education could enhance pro-environmental behaviors and promote community health.