Climate change-related behaviors among hospital nurses in South Korea: a latent profile analysis

Healthcare systems contribute substantially to global carbon emissions. As the largest healthcare workforce, nurses play a critical role in climate change mitigation. Understanding their behavioral patterns is essential for developing targeted interventions to promote environmental engagement. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of climate change mitigation behaviors among Korean hospital nurses and examine their associations with climate extreme experiences, information exposure, efficacy beliefs, and work-related factors. This cross-sectional study utilized survey data from 861 hospital nurses in South Korea, derived from the “Nurses’ accOuntability To Implement Climate and Environmental justice” project. Latent profile analysis was performed using eight behavioral items from the Korean version of the Climate, Health, and Nursing Tool. Differences among the identified profiles were examined using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Games–Howell post hoc tests and chi-square tests. Three distinct profiles emerged: low engagement (8.5%), moderate engagement (45.3%), and high engagement (46.2%). The use of less gasoline (e.g., transportation) was a key distinguishing factor between the low and moderate engagement groups. Nurses in the high engagement group reported more frequent experiences with extreme climate events and higher levels of self-efficacy and collective efficacy. Paradoxically, greater exposure to climate-related information was associated with lower engagement. Furthermore, inadequate staffing was identified as a significant structural barrier negatively associated with pro-environmental behaviors. The findings underscore the importance of tailored strategies that account for nurses’ levels of engagement. Notably, the paradoxical association between greater climate-related information exposure and lower engagement suggests that information alone is insufficient to drive behavioral change. Accordingly, interventions should move beyond increasing information exposure to emphasize actionable guidance, including positively framed messages that highlight the environmental impact of professional nursing practices. To foster sustained engagement and efficacy, healthcare organizations should address structural barriers by ensuring adequate staffing and implementing supportive systems for environmentally sustainable practices. Not applicable.