Towards rural women's pro-environmental behaviors: Application of protection motivation theory
Masoud Bijani, Sahra Mohammadi-Mehr, Nematollah Shiri
Abstract
Strengthening pro-environmental behaviors is one of the approaches to protect the environment. Women make up half of the rural human society and their role in environmental activities is significant. The purpose of this study was to predict the rural women's pro-environmental behaviors (RWPEB) using protection motivation theory (PMT). The research method was descriptive-correlation which was done using structural equation modeling (SEM). Data gathering instrument was a standard questionnaire whose validity was assessed by convergent validity (CV) and its reliability was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha (α) and composite reliability (CR). The statistical population was rural women in Kermanshah township in Iran, 214 of whom were considered as a sample by stratified random sampling with proportional assignment. Data analysis was performed with SPSS and SmartPLS software. Based on the research findings, it was found that RWPEB is moderate. SEM results showed that perceived severity (PS) and self-efficacy (SE) variables had a direct, positive and significant effect on RWPEB. In addition, the variable of environmental awareness (EnAw) had a positive and significant effect on RWPEB indirectly through PMT components. Therefore, by improving the EnAw, SE and PS status of environmental issues among rural women, it is possible to develop their pro-environmentalist behaviors. For this purpose, paying attention to the balance in environmental policy-making and decision-making between rural women and men in the direction of environmental behaviors and focusing on the participation of rural women is a serious requirement.