AWARENESS AND BEHAVIORS OF STUDENTS AT A FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY CONCERNING HEALTH-RELATED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Background
The current study aims at assessing the awareness and behaviors of university students at a foundation university’s Faculty of Health Sciences regarding sustainable development goals.

Material and methods
The research is cross-sectional and was conducted in the nursing, physiotherapy, and nutrition departments of the Faculty of Health Sciences between November-December 2022. The study sample consisted of 275 students. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using the Descriptive Data Form and the Sustainable Development Awareness Scale. SPSS Statistics 24.00 software was employed for data analysis.

Results
Most participating students are between the ages of 18-24. More than half of the participants are concerned about the effects of climate change. They state that they save water and paper and that they prefer to use energy-saving devices. Although students' awareness level is high, their participation in environmental protection projects could be improved. It has been observed that nursing and female students have a higher awareness of sustainable development goals than male students in other departments.

Conclusions
It’s crucial to formulate action plans concerning sustainable development goals for university students and encourage their implementation.