Association between climate change anxiety and quality of life among pregnant women: a cross-sectional study

Climate change may generate psychological distress and health-related concerns during pregnancy, a period characterized by increased physiological and psychosocial vulnerability. However, evidence regarding the association between climate change anxiety and quality of life among pregnant women remains limited. This study aimed to describe climate change anxiety and quality-of-life scores among pregnant women, examine the association between these scores, and determine whether this association remained statistically significant after adjustment for selected sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational design was used. The study was conducted between June 6 and December 31, 2024, in the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic of a public hospital in the Central Anatolia region of Türkiye. The sample comprised 387 pregnant women who met the eligibility criteria and were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Climate Change Women’s Anxiety Scale, and the Quality of Life Gravidarum Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. The mean Climate Change Women’s Anxiety Scale score was 49.97 ± 11.40, and the mean Quality of Life Gravidarum Scale score was 34.61 ± 5.21. Climate change anxiety was positively correlated with the quality-of-life score ( r = 0.495, p < 0.001). After adjustment for sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, higher climate change anxiety remained independently associated with higher Quality of Life Gravidarum Scale scores (B = 0.224, β = 0.490, 95% CI = 0.184–0.264, p < 0.001). The adjusted model explained 27.7% of the variance in quality-of-life scores (R²=0.277). As higher Quality of Life Gravidarum Scale scores indicate poorer quality of life, this finding represents an association between greater climate change anxiety and poorer quality of life during pregnancy. Greater climate change anxiety was associated with poorer quality of life among pregnant women after adjustment for selected sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. However, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference and does not establish the direction of the association. Longitudinal and multicenter studies are needed to clarify its temporal direction and inform appropriate antenatal nursing support.