THURS-112 - Air Quality Perception and Its Impact on Health Behaviors Among College Students
Thursday, April 17, 2025
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM PST
Location: Pacific I/II, 2nd Floor
Area of Responsibility: Area I: Assessment of Needs and Capacity Subcompetencies: 1.3.2 Determine the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, skills, and behaviors that impact the health and health literacy of the priority population(s)., 1.4.2 Prioritize health education and promotion needs. Research or Practice: Research
Assistant Professor California State University Stanislaus Turlock, California, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Upon completion of this session participants will be able to describe attitudes and perceptions of air quality among college students and their influence on health-related behaviors.
Upon completion of this session participants will be able to assess how college students obtain air quality information and engage in protective behaviors.
Upon completion of this session participants will identify ways to raise awareness about the effects of air quality on well-being within the college community.
Brief Abstract Summary: Learn more about the attitudes and perceptions of air quality among college students and how they influence health-related behaviors. This presentation focuses on assessing awareness of local air quality issues, perceived health risks, and corresponding behaviors such as outdoor activity participation and use of air quality monitoring apps and resources. Our preliminary findings reveal that students who perceived air quality as unhealthy were more likely to engage in protective behaviors, such as reducing outdoor activities during high pollution days and utilizing air quality information resources. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between air quality perception and reported respiratory symptoms. These results underscore the importance of effective communication about air quality issues to empower students to make informed health choices and advocate for better environmental policies
Detailed abstract description: Air quality is an important component to everyday life, yet there is limited research on studying perception of various populations such as college students and how they perceive air pollution. Exploring the perceptions of air quality among college students and how they access existing air quality information is critical in assessing awareness of local air quality issues, perceived health risks, and corresponding behaviors such as outdoor activity participation. With increasing concerns about environmental health and anthropogenic pollution, we aim to examine how students engage in obtaining air quality information or if they utilize AI-driven sources, such as virtual assistants and online databases and phone applications, to obtain localized air quality updates and educational resources.
