Climate Change Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Social Media Use Purposes

Objective This study examined the relationship between climate change awareness and belief in disaster preparedness among university students and explored the mediating role of social media use purposes. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 418 university students. Data were collected using validated scales measuring climate change awareness, disaster preparedness belief, and social media use purposes. Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis (PROCESS Macro Model 4) were performed. Results Climate change awareness was positively associated with both social media use purposes (r = .322, P < 0.001) and disaster preparedness belief (r = .307, P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that climate change awareness (B = 0.185, P < 0.001) and social media use purposes (B = 0.243, P < 0.001) significantly predicted disaster preparedness belief. Mediation analysis indicated that social media use purposes partially mediated the relationship between climate change awareness and preparedness belief. Conclusion Higher climate change awareness was associated with stronger disaster preparedness beliefs among university students. Social media use purposes partially mediate this relationship and function as a complementary digital mechanism linking climate awareness to preparedness beliefs