Sustainability Consciousness and Attitudes Toward Sustainable Development: Examining the Roles of Sustainable Consumption Behavior and Healthy and Sustainable Lifestyle Among Sport Sciences Students

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between sustainability consciousness and attitudes toward sustainable development among students enrolled in the Faculties of Sport Sciences and to test the serial mediating roles of sustainable consumption behavior and a healthy and sustainable lifestyle in this relationship. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional correlational research design. A total of 891 undergraduate students voluntarily participated from the Faculties of Sport Sciences at six universities in Türkiye. Data were collected using the Sustainability Consciousness Scale, the Sustainable Consumption Behavior Scale, the Healthy and Sustainable Lifestyle Scale, and the Attitudes Toward Sustainable Development Scale. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro Model 6 with 5000 bootstrap resamples. Results: Sustainability consciousness was positively associated with attitudes toward sustainable development (β = 0.537, p < 0.001) and healthy and sustainable lifestyle (r = 0.226, p < 0.001) but was not significantly associated with sustainable consumption behavior (r = 0.023, p > 0.05). In the multivariable model, sustainability consciousness (β = 0.510, p < 0.001) and healthy and sustainable lifestyle (β = 0.118, p < 0.001) were independently associated with attitudes toward sustainable development, whereas sustainable consumption behavior was not (β = −0.004, p = 0.895). Bootstrap analysis showed a significant specific indirect effect through a healthy and sustainable lifestyle (b = 0.00998, 95% CI [0.00384, 0.01724]). In contrast, the indirect effect through sustainable consumption behavior and the hypothesized sequential indirect pathway through sustainable consumption behavior and healthy and sustainable lifestyle were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Sustainability consciousness was strongly associated with more positive attitudes toward sustainable development, and the specific indirect pathway through healthy and sustainable lifestyle was statistically supported. In contrast, the specific indirect pathway through sustainable consumption behavior and the hypothesized sequential indirect pathway were not supported. These results emphasize the potential importance of integrating sustainability consciousness with broader health- and sustainability-oriented lifestyle practices among university students, while also suggesting that sustainable consumption behavior may operate through more complex individual and contextual processes.