Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Section 2, Nankang, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.
Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 18;14(1):28414. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79905-y.
To address air pollution hazards effectively, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence residents' adoption of harm reduction measures. Existing studies often focus on passive defense and ignore active strategies such as air purifiers, dehumidifiers, anti-haze window screens, and air-purifying plants. This study adopted the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) model to explore the factors that influence residents to take proactive measures to prevent the impacts of air pollution. This cross-sectional study recruited 371 participants aged 25-64 years living in southern Taiwan. A one-shot online survey was conducted to examine demographic information, air pollution exposure experience, knowledge, risk perceptions, attitudes toward air pollution protective measures, perceived barriers and benefits, payment for protective measures, and actual engagement in protective actions. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among these factors. This study reveals that the adoption of these protective measures can be understood through three primary pathways. The first pathway linked knowledge to attitude toward behavior. Regarding the various protective measures, this study found that knowledge strongly influenced individuals' attitudes. This, in turn, influenced their likelihood of engaging in protective measures. The second pathway revealed the effect of risk perception on protective measures, with attitudes mediating this relationship. Perceived risk susceptibility and risk severity were linked to attitudes, which further influenced the adoption of protective measures. The third pathway emphasized the direct effects of perceived barriers on the adoption of protective measures. Individuals who perceived fewer barriers were more likely to adopt these measures. This study fills the gap in the understanding of the factors influencing residents' adoption of proactive air pollution protection measures. Moreover, this study underscores the importance of increasing public awareness and reducing barriers to promote individual actions for mitigating the negative effects of air pollution.
为了有效应对空气污染危害，了解影响居民采取减少危害措施的因素至关重要。现有研究通常侧重于被动防御，而忽略了空气净化器、除湿器、防霾窗纱和空气净化植物等主动策略。本研究采用知识-态度-行为（KAB）模型，探讨影响居民采取主动措施预防空气污染影响的因素。本横断面研究招募了 371 名年龄在 25-64 岁之间居住在台湾南部的参与者。通过一次性在线调查，调查了人口统计学信息、空气污染暴露经历、知识、风险认知、对空气污染防护措施的态度、感知障碍和益处、防护措施的支付以及实际采取的防护措施。结构方程模型用于检验这些因素之间的关系。本研究揭示了通过三种主要途径可以理解这些防护措施的采用。第一种途径将知识与行为态度联系起来。关于各种防护措施，本研究发现知识强烈影响个人的态度。这反过来又影响了他们采取防护措施的可能性。第二种途径揭示了风险认知对防护措施的影响，态度在其中起到中介作用。感知风险易感性和风险严重程度与态度相关，进而影响防护措施的采用。第三种途径强调了感知障碍对防护措施采用的直接影响。感知障碍较少的个体更有可能采取这些措施。本研究填补了理解影响居民采取主动空气污染保护措施因素的空白。此外，本研究强调了提高公众意识和减少障碍的重要性，以促进个人行动，减轻空气污染的负面影响。
