A Leap Toward Sustainable Consciousness: SCQ‐S Validation for Spanish Adolescents

This study explores sustainability awareness using an advanced psychometric approach to validate the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) for Spanish adolescents. The focus is on examining item‐item interactions and the influence of contextual and cultural factors. A cross‐sectional study was conducted to translate and culturally adapt the SCQ, originally developed by Gericke et al., following established guidelines. The forward‐backward translation method was employed, involving bilingual experts and cognitive interviews with students to refine the Spanish version. Data collection included 29 sustainability‐related items and seven sports‐related items, administered via paper and Google Forms. Psychometric network analysis was then used to reveal item‐item interactions and contextual influences. The study identifies a complex network of factors affecting sustainability awareness, with particular emphasis on unusual correlations, especially with item 10, highlighting the need to review and adapt SCQ items to improve their applicability across different cultural and demographic contexts. On the other hand, items I2, I12, and I24, which received the highest intermediate centrality coefficients, indicate that they are central points that are on the shortest connecting paths to other nodes. The findings emphasize the importance of a holistic and adaptive approach in measuring sustainability. The validation and cultural adaptation of the SCQ are crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of education for sustainable development and fostering a deep commitment to sustainability across diverse populations.