From climate change worry to mindful eating for planetary health: a cross-sectional study of eating-related eco-concern

Climate change worry is increasingly discussed as a psychological response to environmental change, yet its relationship with food-specific ecological concern and mindful eating is not well understood. This study examined the association between climate change worry and expanded mindful eating among adults and tested whether eating-related eco-concern statistically mediated this relationship. This cross-sectional study included 751 adults aged 19–65 years residing in Ankara, Türkiye.

Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire that included a socio-demographic form, the Climate Change Worry Scale, the Eating-Related Eco-Concern Scale, and the Expanded Mindful Eating Scale. Participants who reported a professionally diagnosed chronic disease, psychiatric condition, or eating disorder, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, were excluded. Associations were examined using Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses.

Mediation was tested with Hayes PROCESS Model 4 using 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Climate change worry was strongly correlated with eating-related eco-concern (r = 0.80, p