Behavioral research of environment and air pollution through education (BREATHE) study data

Despite the wealth of scientific literature on the health effects of air pollution, the public’s personal choices in their daily lives continues to be largely detrimental towards the environment, and public support for the generation of policies to regulate sources of pollution has remained modest. The objective of this study was to determine whether a short interactive teaching session on air pollution can shift the behavioral choices of adolescents towards environmentally friendlier options. 

To examine the long-term effects of a short interactive teaching session about air pollution on the understanding and behavioral choices of adolescents, we performed a pilot randomized control trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID#NCT02471872) in which the 8th grade students from KIPP school (Knowledge Is Power Program, a national network of free open enrollment college preparatory public schools dedicated towards students in underserved communities) in San Jose, CA, were randomized to receive a 1-hour systematic script-based teaching on either lung health effects of air pollution (intervention group) or role of vaccination in public health (control group). Written parental informed consent as well as written child assent was obtained from all participating students. The enrolled students then completed a survey designed by our group to evaluate their understanding and predict their future behavior towards air pollution immediately before and 1 month after the teaching session. The questionnaire consisted of 15 multiple-choice questions with 5 questions targeting understanding (score range from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 20 total possible points) and 10 questions targeting behavioral choices (score range from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 38 total possible points). Overall, 71 students from 3 different classes (age=13.5±0.6 years; 65% female; median annual family income=$25K-$50K) were enrolled in the study, out of whom 36 were randomized to the intervention group. 

Methods
We performed a randomized control trial in which eighth-grade students were randomized to receive a one-hour script-based teaching on either the effects of air pollution on lung health (intervention group) or the role of vaccination in public health (control group). The enrolled students completed a survey (15 multiple-choice questions; five targeting understanding (score range 5-20); ten targeting behavioral choices (score range 10-38)) designed to evaluate their understanding and predict their future behavior towards air pollution immediately before, immediately after, and one month after the teaching sessions.