The role of climate change education on awareness, anxiety, and hope among pregnant women: a randomized controlled study

Abstract Background Climate change poses significant risks to physical and psychological health, particularly among vulnerable groups such as pregnant women. Awareness of climate-related threats can influence anxiety levels as well as coping mechanisms such as hope. This study aims to evaluate the effects of climate change education on pregnant women’s awareness, anxiety, and hope. Methods This randomized controlled pretest–posttest experimental study was conducted with 154 pregnant women who attended a public hospital in Istanbul between September 2025 and January 2026. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group ( n = 77) or the control group ( n = 77). The intervention group received a 60-minute face-to-face training session focusing on climate change and pregnancy, whereas no intervention was applied to the control group. Data were collected before the intervention and four weeks afterward using the Climate Change Worry Scale, the Climate Change Awareness Scale, and the Climate Change Hope Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (such as frequency, percentage, and mean), parametric tests (independent samples t-test and ANOVA). Results The mean age of participants in the intervention group was 28.49 ± 6.55 years, while it was 27.99 ± 6.85 years in the control group. No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of individual and obstetric characteristics ( p > 0.05). Following the intervention, significant increases were observed in climate change anxiety, awareness, and hope levels in the intervention group ( p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed decreases in anxiety and hope levels, while awareness demonstrated only a limited increase ( p < 0.05). Between-group comparisons revealed that posttest scores were significantly higher in the intervention group ( p < 0.05). Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant interaction between group and time for all variables ( p < 0.001). Effect sizes were found to be large (d = 1.30–2.20), indicating a strong impact of the intervention. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate that climate change education is an effective intervention that significantly influences awareness, anxiety, and hope levels among pregnant women. These results suggest that structured educational programs for pregnant women may serve as a valuable tool in enhancing environmental awareness and supporting psychological well-being. Trial registration number NCT07403513, www.clinicaltrials.gov . Registered on January 29, 2026.