Eco-Anxiety in Latin American Citizens: Description and Factors Associated With Concern About Climate Change

Background: Climate change is an undeniable reality that is increasingly discussed globally. While eco-anxiety has been extensively studied in Europe and other developed countries, there is a lack of data from Latin America. Aims: To identify and describe the factors associated with eco-anxiety in Latin America. Method: A cross-sectional, multicenter study used a validated scale to measure eco-anxiety, adjusted for sex, age, education level, and country of residence. Descriptive and analytical statistics were employed to interpret the data. Among 3,320 participants, a significant portion expressed eco-anxiety, particularly when it was mentioned to affect an important place, interfere with concentration, disrupt work or studies, or cause difficulty sleeping (12%, 5%, 3%, and 3% strongly agreed with these statements, respectively). Results: Multivariate analysis revealed higher scores of eco-anxiety in Argentina (aRP: 2.06; 95% CI [1.45, 2.94]; p < 0.001), Colombia (aRP: 1.66; 95% CI [1.21, 2.29]; p = 0.002), and Ecuador (aRP: 1.40; 95% CI [1.01, 1.94]; p = 0.042). Conversely, eco-anxiety was lower among men (aRP: 0.88; 95% CI [0.81, 0.96]; p = 0.003) and those with postgraduate education (aRP: 0.72; 95% CI [0.59, 0.88]; p = 0.001), after adjusting for age. Conclusions: This is the first large-scale study to report significant eco-anxiety in Latin America, which is linked to factors such as country of residence, sex, and educational level.