Rural people's awareness of the causes of the population problem and its consequences in rural Gharbia Governorate

The study aimed to determine the degree of respondents' knowledge of the causes and importance of the population problem, its consequences, and proposed solutions, and to test the significance of the relationship between the independent variables studied and respondents' knowledge of the causes of the population problem. The study was conducted on a sample of 247 respondents, heads of rural households from three villages affiliated with three districts in Gharbia Governorate, who were randomly selected. Data was collected using a questionnaire, which was completed through personal interviews with the respondents during the period from January to March 2025. The data was analyzed using numerical tally tables, percentages, weighted averages, and Pearson's simple correlation coefficient. The results were as follows: It was found that approximately half of the respondents (50.6%) had an average level of overall knowledge of the causes of the population problem, while the smallest percentage (13%) had a low level of knowledge. - It was found that nearly three-fifths of the respondents (58.3%) had an average level of knowledge about the causes of the population problem, while the smallest percentage (17%) had an advanced level of knowledge. The most important effects of the population problem: a decline in the standard of living of families, a decline in per capita resource allocation, a rise in unemployment rates, and a widening food gap. The respondents' most important proposals for solving the population problem: providing job opportunities for youth in new communities, redistributing Egypt's population to the desert, and improving families' living conditions. A significant relationship was found between the variables of cultural openness, leadership, and educational status, and the respondents' knowledge of the causes of the population problem. The study concluded with a number of recommendations drawn from its findings.