Investigating the Mediation Role of Intent in Analysis of the Factors Influencing Farmers Sustainable Environmental Behavior in Zanjan Township: Application of Theory of Planned Behavior

Today, environmental degradation and the lack of awareness of the farmers about its issues is one of the major challenges in rural areas .Therefore, sustainable environmental behavior in these areas is very important to achieve national development goals. Therefore, this study has been conducted with the aim of investigating the mediation role of intention in analysis of the factors influencing sustainable environmental behavior among farmers. The study population was consisted of farmers in Zanjan township that according to Cochran’s formula, 300 of them were selected by multistage sampling method. A questionnaire was used as research tools. Face and content validity of the questionnaire had been confirmed by panel of experts and key informant before the pre-test stage. The reliability of instrument was assessed by conducting a pilot study among 30 samples out of the original sample. The reliability of instrument for the all sections based on Cronbach's alpha coefficients value (in the range of 0.72 to 0.88) shows acceptable level of internal consistency. Data analysis was performed by SPSS24 and AMOS22 software. The collected data was analyzed using structural equation modeling technique. The results based on direct structural model showed that there is a positive and significant effect between variables such as subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and environmental attitudes with the dependent variable of sustainable environmental behavior in agriculture. Also, based on the mediation structural model specified that intention variable had a mediation role on the relationship between independent variable with sustainable environmental behavior in agriculture and these variables explained 39% of variances of dependent variable.