The Relationship Between Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Toward Sustainable Development: A Focus on Responsible Consumption Among Residents in Saudi Arabia - A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 12) aims to promote sustainable public procurement practices, encourage adopting sustainable practices, reduce waste generation, and ensure that people have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development in harmony with nature. In Saudi Arabia, reinforce awareness and engagement in responsible consumption is crucial to achieving national sustainability objectives. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aims to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding responsible consumption among residents in urban areas of Saudi Arabia like Dammam City. The data collected through structures questionnaire based on prior literature from 864 residents from Dammam City, the respondents were selected randomly through a multi-stage sampling procedure. The data was analyzed by using JAMOVI version
2.7.5 and Openepi. The results show that 84.8% of residents have a high knowledge regarding responsible consumption, and 88.8% exhibited positive attitudes, however, 30.1% of residents displayed low level of responsible consumption practices. These findings highlights a significant gap between knowledge and attitude and actual practices, more likely due to structural barriers. This indicates that residents of Dammam have a high awareness level and positive attitudes toward responsible consumption; is not translated into consistent, sustainable, responsible consumption practices. Furthermore, policy interventions, Infrastructure support, and community engagement initiatives are recommended to bridge the gap between awareness and action, thereby fostering responsible consumption at both individual and community levels.