Air pollution: outdoor air quality and health

Recommendation ID: NG70/5
Question: Awareness raising:- What is the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of different methods of awareness raising about air pollution (including air pollution alerts) on people's behaviour and on acute and chronic health outcomes?
Any explanatory notes (if applicable): Why this is important:- Activities to raise awareness of air pollution, including air pollution alerts (using traditional, social media and other methods) are becoming increasingly popular as a way of warning of the potential risk from episodes of poor air quality. But little is known about whether these alerts help encourage people to change their behaviour. Research on the absolute and relative effect of different approaches could be used to develop effective and cost effective systems.
Research is needed on the impact of, for example, air pollution alerts on:
- different groups (such as those vulnerable to air pollution and the general population)
- behaviours related to the production of pollution (such as changes in mode of transport)
- acute and chronic health.
Studies are also needed on:
- the risk of adverse effects (such as making people worry unnecessarily, or increasing the level of motor vehicle travel after an alert)
- the ability of health services to respond to concerns raised by issuing alerts.

Source guidance details

Is this a recommendation for the use of a technology only in the context of research?	No
Is it a recommendation that suggests collection of data or the establishment of a register?	No
Last Reviewed	30/06/2017