Application of structural equation modeling-diagonally weighted least square on environmental preservation awareness and environmentally based diseases in Lampung Province, Indonesia

Environmental preservation awareness should not be solely the government's responsibility but a shared commitment among individuals. Greater environmental awareness among individuals naturally translates into more sustainable daily behaviors. With the increasing concern of each person in terms of protecting their environment, the risk of developing environment-based diseases can be reduced. This study examines the influence of environmental awareness among junior high school students in Lampung Province on the prevalence of environment-related diseases such as upper respiratory tract infections (ARIs), diarrhea, intestinal worms, pulmonary tuberculosis, skin diseases and air sensitivity via a structural equation model with the diagonally weighted least squares estimator method. The results of the study revealed that the best SEM-DWLS model showed that, in general, the indicators used were able to strongly explain the latent variables. According to the model, as many as 59.3% of the students in Lampung Province, Indonesia, are environmentally aware, and the remaining 7.3% are in the sufficient category. In addition, the students also experienced environment-related diseases such as coughs and colds that last for approximately 14 days (ARIs), diarrhea, intestinal worms, tuberculosis, skin diseases and air sensitivity. The highest percentage of disease in the students was skin disease (38.4%).