The Environmental Protection Behavior Scale for Adolescents: A Validity and Reliabi-lity Study

Objectives

This study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate a valid and reliable measurement tool for assessing environmental protection behaviors among adolescents.

Methods

A methodological study design was employed with a sample of 601 adolescents aged 10–15 years. Following a comprehensive literature review, an initial pool of 22 items was generated. The content validity index (CVI) was established through expert consultation (n = 11), and the draft scale was subsequently evaluated in a pilot study (n = 30). Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). EFA was conducted using principal component analysis with Varimax rotation. Reliability was evaluated utilizing Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s omega, split-half, and test-retest methods.

Results

Following the EFA, seven items with insufficient factor loadings were removed. The finalized 15-item scale demonstrated a two-factor structure—“Environmental Awareness and Active Participation” and “Daily Eco-Friendly Behaviors”—accounting for 47.55% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were robust: 0.868 for the total scale, 0.837 for the first subscale, and 0.803 for the second subscale. CFA results indicated excellent model fit (χ²/df=1.98; CFI=0.958; RMSEA=0.057). Test-retest analysis yielded Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values ranging from 0.918 to 0.951, demonstrating high stability over time. Item analysis comparing the upper and lower 27% cohorts confirmed the scale’s high discriminative power (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The Environmental Protection Behavior Scale for Adolescents is a psychometrically robust, valid, and reliable instrument. It holds significant utility for school health nurses, public health practitioners, and educators in evaluating adolescents’ environmental behaviors, identifying target groups, and designing tailored environmental health interventions.

Key messages

• A valid and reliable scale was developed to assess adolescents’ environmental behaviors across awareness, participation, and daily eco-friendly practices.

• The scale supports school health nurses and public health professionals in identifying risk groups and designing targeted environmental health interventions.