Urdu Translation and validation of Hogg Eco Anxiety Scale

Abstract

This study aimed to translate and validate the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS) into Urdu to measure eco-anxiety among the Pakistani population. The study was conducted in two phases. First, linguistic and conceptual equivalence was ensured through translation and back-translation. Second, the scale was empirically validated through psychometric analysis using a purposive sample of adults from South Punjab. Test-retest reliability, cross-language validation, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed. A total of 40 participants were involved in the pilot study and 320 participants in the main validation. The CFA confirmed a one-factor structure with satisfactory model fit indices (Final Model: X² = 95.167, df = 59, RMSEA = .038, CFI = .969). The Urdu version demonstrated strong internal consistency (X = .87) and cross-language correlation (r = .936, p < .001), confirming its reliability and validity. The validated Urdu scale enables researchers and clinicians to assess eco-anxiety among Urdu-speaking populations and guides public health interventions targeting climate-induced psychological distress.