School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
PLoS One. 2018 Mar 16;13(3):e0194364. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194364. eCollection 2018.
Air pollution causes severe physical and psychological health complications. Considering China's continuously-deteriorating air quality, this study aimed to assess the self-reported effects of air pollution on the behavior and physical health of the students of 13 densely populated cities, and their awareness, practices, and perception of air pollution and its associated public health risks. A detailed, closed-ended questionnaire was administered to 2100 students from 54 universities and schools across China. The questionnaire, which had 24 questions, was categorized into four sections. The first two sections were focused on air pollution-associated behavior and psychology, and physical effects; while the final two sections focused on the subjects' awareness and perceptions, and practices and concerns about air pollution. The respondents reported that long-term exposure to air pollution had significantly affected their psychology and behavior, as well as their physical health. The respondents were aware of the different adverse impacts of air pollution (respiratory infections, allergies, and cardiovascular problems), and hence had adopted different preventive measures, such as the use of respiratory masks and glasses or goggles, regularly drinking water, and consuming rich foods. It was concluded that air pollution and haze had negative physical and psychological effects on the respondents, which led to severe changes in behavior. Proper management, future planning, and implementing strict environmental laws are suggested before this problem worsens and becomes life-threatening.
空气污染会导致严重的身心健康并发症。考虑到中国不断恶化的空气质量，本研究旨在评估空气污染对 13 个人口稠密城市学生的行为和身体健康的自报告影响，以及他们对空气污染及其相关公共健康风险的认识、实践和看法。我们向中国 54 所大学和学校的 2100 名学生发放了一份详细的封闭式问卷。该问卷共有 24 个问题，分为四个部分。前两个部分侧重于与空气污染相关的行为和心理以及身体影响；后两个部分侧重于主题的意识、看法、实践和对空气污染的关注。受访者报告说，长期暴露在空气污染中严重影响了他们的心理和行为以及身体健康。受访者意识到空气污染的不同不利影响（呼吸道感染、过敏和心血管问题），因此采取了不同的预防措施，例如使用呼吸面罩和眼镜或护目镜、定期饮水和食用营养丰富的食物。研究结论表明，空气污染和雾霾对受访者的身心都有负面影响，导致行为发生严重变化。建议在问题恶化并威胁生命之前，进行妥善管理、未来规划和实施严格的环境法律。
