Communicating Air Quality Index Information: Effects of Different Styles on Individuals' Risk Perception and Precaution Intention.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Wu Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8507816 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Being an interactive process, the success of risk communication needs to ensure the individuals' right to know and influence their attitudes and perceptions of risk. Ubiquitous social media have expanded risk communication channels and innovated ways of risk communication. At the same time, uncertainty also arises with the diversity and variety of social media. Taking the rainstorm disaster in China as an example, this study focuses on factors affecting the individuals' continuance intention of information seeking on Weibo (a social media platform similar to Twitter). Based on 377 valid respondents, this study applied an extended expectation-confirmation model (ECM), from which the results of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) suggested that continuance intention is positively influenced by factors including effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and satisfaction. Among them, satisfaction contributes the most, which helps maintain a balance between performance expectancy and continuance intention. Taking the individuals' continuance intention to seek information on Weibo as the clue, this research provides government agencies with practical advice on how to use social media for more efficient risk communication during disasters and establish emergency preplans to respond to natural disasters.
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Project description:ImportanceReducing exposure to fine particulate matter (<2.5 μm [PM2.5]) air pollution improves cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. However, the public health relevance of air quality index (AQI) activity guidelines under present-day environmental conditions in the US has not been critically assessed.ObjectiveTo evaluate the public health relevance of following PM2.5 AQI activity guidance in preventing serious atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and pulmonary events among adults in the US.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional modeling study involved the general adult population and sensitive individuals as designated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including adults with preexisting ASCVD or lung disease (asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The study was conducted between August 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024.ExposuresDaily AQI strata for PM2.5 and the corresponding activity recommendations.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcome was the number needed to treat (NNT) per day by following activity guidance across daily AQI strata to prevent 1 serious ASCVD or pulmonary event among relevant populations. To calculate PM2.5-induced excess disease event rates per day, estimated baseline disease-specific daily event rates for each group were multiplied by the increase in risks due to PM2.5 levels at each AQI stratum. The number of events prevented per day was calculated by multiplying each excess disease event rate by the percentage in exposure reduction plausibly incurred by following population-specific activity guidance at each AQI level. The NNT is the reciprocal of the number of events prevented.ResultsThe NNT to prevent ASCVD events was high for the general population and for patients with ASCVD across all AQI strata. The range of values was comparatively lower to prevent pulmonary events among adults with lung disease. During most days (96%) when activity recommendations were promulgated due to elevated PM2.5 (AQI, 101-200), the NNT to prevent a serious disease event remained very high for the general population (>18 million), patients with ASCVD (approximately 1.6-5 million), and adults with lung disease (approximately 66 000-202 000).Conclusions and relevanceThese findings suggest that existing PM2.5 AQI activity recommendations are of questionable public health relevance in present-day conditions and merit consideration for updating to improve their potential effectiveness.
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Project description:This study aims at analyzing the change in air quality following the COVID-19 lockdown in India and its perception by the general public. Air quality data for 100 days recorded at 193 stations throughout India were analyzed between 25th March to 17th May 2020. A nationwide online survey was conducted to obtain public perceptions of air quality improvement (n=1750). On average, approximately 40% improvement in the air quality index was observed, contributed by a reduction in 40% of PM10, 44% of PM2.5, 51% of NO2 and 21% of SO2. There was a significant difference between the levels of all the pollutants before and after the lockdown (p<0.05), except ozone. The correlation between PM10 and PM2.5 with ozone was significant after the lockdown period, indicating that a significant portion of the particulates present in the atmosphere after the lockdown period is secondary. The values of PM2.5/PM10 were found to be greater than 0.5 in North East states and this observation points to the long-distance transport of PM2.5 from other places. The survey for public perception showed that 60% of the respondents perceived improvement in air quality. Household emissions were perceived to be a significant source of pollution after the lockdown. An odds ratio (OR) of 17 (95%, CI: 6.42, 47.04) indicated a very high dependence of perception on actual air quality. OR between air quality and health improvement was 5.2 (95%, CI: 2.69, 10.01), indicating significant health improvement due to air quality improvement. Google Trends analysis showed that media did not influence shaping the perception. There was a significant improvement in the actual and perceived air quality in India after the COVID-19-induced lockdown. PM10 levels had the most decisive influence in shaping public perception.
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