Open Access

ARTICLE

Positive Youth Development and Pro-Environmental Behaviours: Examining the Role of Gender among Spanish University Students

Esther López-Bermúdez, María Soledad Palacios-Gálvez, Francisco José García-Moro, Diego Gómez-Baya^*

Department of Social, Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Huelva, Huelva, 21007, Spain

* Corresponding Author: Diego Gómez-Baya. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Adolescent and Youth Mental Health: Toxic and Friendly Environments)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(9), 1265-1278. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.068013

Received 19 May 2025; Accepted 03 September 2025; Issue published 30 September 2025

Abstract

Objectives: The climate crisis demands urgent action from all sectors of society, including young people in higher education. While previous research has explored individual and contextual predictors of pro-environmental behaviour (PEB), the contribution of Positive Youth Development (PYD) remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between PYD dimensions (Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring) and two environmental outcomes: environmental habits and climate change awareness, considering gender differences. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 1779 students from 10 universities in Andalusia (Spain). Data were collected through an online survey assessing PYD indicators, PEB, and sociodemographic variables. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlation analyses, and multiple mediation models were performed. Results: Descriptive analyses indicated moderate levels of PYD dimensions and PEB across the sample. Among the 5 Cs, Caring had a positive association with environmental habits (r = 0.22, p < 0.001) and climate change awareness (r = 0.30, p < 0.001). Character also had a positive effect on both environmental habits (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and climate change awareness (r = 0.30, p < 0.001). Competence and Confidence were not significantly associated, and Connection demonstrated limited predictive value, potentially influenced by contextual or social factors. Gender differences were also identified, with women showing higher scores in Character (d = 0.29, p < 0.001), Caring (d = 0.63, p < 0.001), environmental habits (d = 0.20, p < 0.001) and climate change awareness (d = 0.40, p < 0.001), while men scored higher in Competence (d = 0.57, p < 0.001) and Confidence (d = 0.22, p < 0.001). Mediation analyses indicated that the association between gender and environmental habits was totally explained by Character (β = −0.02; 95% CI: −0.04; −0.01) and Caring (β = −0.04; 95% CI: −0.05, −0.02). Furthermore, the relationship between gender and climate change awareness was partially mediated by Character (β = −0.03; 95% CI: −0.05; −0.02) and Caring (β = −0.05; 95% CI: −0.07, −0.03). Conclusions: Females showed more environmental habits and climate change awareness than males, because of their greater scores in both Caring and Character dimensions of PYD. These findings highlight the importance of the PYD for promoting PEB and engaged citizens among young adults. Gender-sensitive and interdisciplinary interventions, such as environmental volunteering and community-based programmes, are recommended for university contexts to enhance sustainable development behaviours and values.

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