Public’s Health Risk Awareness on Urban Air Pollution in Chinese Megacities: The Cases of Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanchang

Xiaojun Liu, Hui Zhu, Yongxin Hu, Sha Feng, Yuanyuan Chu, Yanyan Wu, Chiyu Wang, Yuxuan Zhang, Zhaokang Yuan and Yuanan Lu
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Xiaojun Liu: School of Public Health, Nanchang University, 461 Bayi Road, Donghu District, Nanchang 330006, China
Hui Zhu: School of Public Health, Nanchang University, 461 Bayi Road, Donghu District, Nanchang 330006, China
Yongxin Hu: School of Public Health, Nanchang University, 461 Bayi Road, Donghu District, Nanchang 330006, China
Sha Feng: School of Public Health, Fudan University, 138 Yixueyuan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China
Yuanyuan Chu: Global Health Institute, Wuhan University, 115 Donghu Road, Donghu District, Wuhan 430071, China
Yanyan Wu: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Chiyu Wang: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Yuxuan Zhang: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Zhaokang Yuan: School of Public Health, Nanchang University, 461 Bayi Road, Donghu District, Nanchang 330006, China
Yuanan Lu: School of Public Health, Nanchang University, 461 Bayi Road, Donghu District, Nanchang 330006, China

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: This study assessed the public’s health risk awareness of urban air pollution triggered by three megacities in China, and the data are the responses from a sample size of 3868 megacity inhabitants from Shanghai, Nanchang and Wuhan. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize the respondents’ demographics, perceived health risks from air pollution and sources of health-related knowledge on urban air pollution. Chi-square tests were used to examine if participants’ demographics were associated with participant’s general attitudes towards current air quality and the three perceived highest health risks due to urban air pollution. We found low rate of satisfaction of current urban air quality as well as poor knowledge of air pollution related indicator. Participants’ gender, age and travel experience were found to be associated with the satisfaction of current air quality. The knowledge of air pollution related indicator was significantly affected by respondents’ education, monthly income, health status, and sites of study. As many as 46.23% of the participants expressed their feelings of anxiety when exposed to polluted air, especially females, older adults and those with poor health conditions. Most participants believed that coughs/colds, eye problems and skin allergies were the three highest health risks due to urban air pollution based on public education through television/radio, internet and newspaper/magazine. Further public health education is needed to improve public awareness of air pollution and its effects.

Keywords: health risk awareness; urban air pollution; public concern; Chinese megacities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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