Nursing Students' Support for Sustainable Health Systems: New Research Sheds Light

Nursing students in China have been found to have a moderate to high level of support for reducing the carbon footprint in healthcare services, according to a recent study. The research, conducted by a team of scientists at Peking University, aimed to explore the factors associated with nursing students' support for environmentally friendly practices in healthcare. The study, which involved a nationally representative sample of 1871 nursing students, revealed that familiarity with the Sustainable Development Goals was the strongest predictor of support for environmental measures in healthcare services.

Key Takeaways:

• The average score for supporting the implementation of environmental measures in healthcare services to reduce carbon footprint was 70.93 ± 23.51 among 1871 Chinese nursing students.
• Significant predictors of nursing students' support level included gender, extraversion, agreeableness, internal health belief, meaning in life, quality of life, digital health use, family health, and academic stage.
• Familiarity with the Sustainable Development Goals emerged as the strongest positive predictor of support for environmental measures in healthcare services.
• The model explained 23.3% of the variance, indicating a moderate level of explanatory power.
• The study provides a basis for developing targeted educational strategies to enhance environmental engagement in nursing.
• The research highlights the importance of incorporating sustainable development goals into nursing education to promote environmentally friendly practices in healthcare.

Statistics:

• 1871 nursing students participated in the 2024 Chinese Population Psychology and Behavior Survey (PBICR).
• The study was conducted between June 23 and September 29, 2024.
• The average score for supporting the implementation of environmental measures in healthcare services to reduce carbon footprint was 70.93 ± 23.51.
• The model explained 23.3% of the variance (adjusted R² = 0.233, F = 57.66, p < 0.002).

Sources:

• "Factors associated with nursing students' support for the implementation of environmental measures in healthcare services to reduce carbon footprint: a multisite cross-sectional correlation study." BMC Nursing, 2025;24(1):729.
• "Peking University Reports Findings in Sustainable Development (Factors associated with nursing students' support for the implementation of environmental measures in healthcare services to reduce carbon footprint: a multisite cross-sectional ...)" Ecology, Environment & Conservation. July 18, 2025; p 399.
• BioMed Central - www.biomedcentral.com/
• BMC Nursing - www.biomedcentral.com/bmcnurs/
• Yibo Wu, School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China.