Examining occupational therapy students’ awareness of United Nations sustainable development goals

Resumen

Introduction: Sustainable development remains one of the most significant global challenges of the 21st century. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to reduce the impact of environmental change, social inequalities, and economic structures on human life, which are closely related to the concept of occupation. In this context, occupational therapists are expected to integrate sustainability principles into both their professional practice and educational processes. Objectives: To examine occupational therapy students’ awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Method: A total of 145 students (mean age: 20.91±3.43) studying at a state university completed the SDGs Awareness Scale and were compared based on sociodemographic variables using the Mann-Whitney U test (for two-group comparisons) and the Kruskal-Wallis H test (for multiple group comparisons). Results: Students demonstrated high overall awareness (150.38±13.19), with the highest scores in social sustainability (4.61±0.55), followed by environmental (4.04±0.36) and economic sustainability (4.03±0.36). A significant difference was found in awareness scores by academic year (p=0.005), with second-, third-, and fourth-year students scoring higher than first-year students. Conclusion: Occupational therapy students demonstrated a high level of awareness regarding sustainable development. However, integrating sustainable development topics—particularly economic and environmental sustainability—into occupational therapy curricula may better prepare future therapists for effective community-based practice.