R. Oguntayo - Department of Psychology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
S. Agberotimi - Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Nigeria
P. Ajao - Department of Psychology, University of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
O. Oladele - Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
A. Olaseni - Department of Psychology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
O. Ajibewa - Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, LAUTECH, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria

KGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Environmental worry involve primarily the thoughts of some hazardous immediate and long-run side effects of degradation that happened to our ecological system. Despite the side effects of this phenomenon, psychometrics measuring environmental worry from the African context are insufficient. Therefore, the Environmental Worry Index (EWI-۱۱) was developed to assess proximal and personal experiences of worry about climate change and environmental degradation. METHODS: This study used a qualitative method among environmental professionals and students (between the ages of ۱۸ to ۶۵) in a university to generate the themes and the pool of items that were used to determine the Environmental Worry Index (EWI-۱۱). Thereafter, ۹۲۵ participants were purposively selected and assessed from Ibadan city through a cross-sectional survey to ascertain the validity and reliability of this new scale. The participants were selected in Ibadan city, Nigeria. The software of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version ۲۶.۰) was used for all analyses.FINDINGS: Using exploratory factor analysis, the construct validity and Varimax rotation showed that the scale has two components (KMO = ۰.۸۹۲, df=۹۱, p.۰۰), thus showing a strong validity. The reliability dimensions and subscales have meritorious reliability (Proximal, α =.۸۹۴, and Personal experience of worry, α =.۶۷۱). The overall Cronbach’s Alpha was ۰.۸۹۴.CONCLUSION: The EWI-۱۱ is adequate for measuring environmental worry and could be useful for experts in mental and environmental research and practice. EWI-۱۱ is therefore recommended as a reliable and valid screening tool for environmental worry and may be acceptable across Africa and other countries as well.

Environmental worry, Environmental worry scale, Environmental Degradation, Climate change, Nigeria