Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Protecting School-Age Children from Particulate Matter in Samut Prakan, Thailand
Keywords:
Caregiver, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP), Particulate matter, ChildrenAbstract
This cross-sectional study evaluated caregivers' practices and identified factors associated with protecting school-age children from exposure to fine particulate matter in the Pak Nam Subdistrict of Samut Prakan Province, Thailand. Qualitative data on the sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 389 caregivers of students in Grades 1 to 6 from seven elementary schools were collected using a structured questionnaire. Univariate logistic regression was then used to analyze the associations between these variables. The results showed that approximately half of the respondents had good knowledge and positive attitudes, but only 22.8% had good protective practices. These respondents need to improve their practices in checking ambient air quality, minimizing children's exposure, and selecting appropriate masks. Factors associated with good practices included being aged 40-49 years (p=0.010), educational level (p=0.004), and various occupations, such as governmental or private officers (p=0.028), business owners (p=0.004), and retirees or housewives (p=0.004). Furthermore, respondents with good knowledge (OR: 1.98, 95% CI=1.18-3.34, p=0.006) and positive attitudes (OR: 2.01, 95% CI=1.21-3.33, p=0.004) were more likely to exhibit better practices. These findings will help responsible authorities develop a strategic plan to protect children's health.
References
World Health Organization (WHO). More than 90% of the world’s children breathe toxic air every day. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/29-10-2018-more-than-90-of-the-worlds-children-breathe-toxic-air-every-day, accessed 25 June, 2024.
Heinrich J, Slama R. Fine particles, a major threat to children. Int J Hyg Environ Health .2007; 210(5): 617-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2007.07.012
Adhikary M, Mal P, Saikia N. Exploring the link between particulate matter pollution and acute respiratory infection risk in children using generalized estimating equations analysis: a robust statistical approach. Environ Health. 2024; 23(1): 12. DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01049-3
Lin WW, Chen ZX, Kong ML, Xie YQ, Zeng XW. Air pollution and children’s health in Chinese. Adv Exp Med Biol 2017; 1017: 153-80. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-5657-4_7
Liu Q, Xu C, Ji G, Liu H, Shao W, Zhang C, et al. Effect of exposure to ambient PM2.5 pollution on the risk of respiratory tract diseases: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. The J Biomed Res. 2017; 31(2): 130–42. DOI: 10.7555/JBR.31.20160071
Kakad KM, Oza C, Dutta P, Chorsiya V, Rajput P. Linking PM pollution to the respiratory health of children: a cross-sectional study from Ahmedabad City in Western India. Aerosol Air Qual Res. 2022; 22(6): e220038. DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.220038
Jedrychowski WA, Perera FP, Maugeri U, Majewska R, Mroz E, Flak E, et al. Long term effects of prenatal and postnatal airborne PAH exposures on ventilatory lung function of non-asthmatic preadolescent children. Prospective birth cohort study in Krakow. Sci Total Environ. 2015; 502: 502-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.09.051
Wang P, Tuvblad C, Younan D, Franklin M, Lurmann F, Wu J, et al. Socioeconomic disparities and sexual dimorphism in neurotoxic effects of ambient fine particles on youth IQ: A longitudinal analysis. PLoS ONE. 2017; 12(12): e0188731. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188731
Landrigan PJ, Fisher S, Kenny ME, Gedeon B, Bryan L, Mu J, et al. A replicable strategy for mapping air pollution’s community-level health impacts and catalyzing prevention. Environ Health. 2022; 21: 70. DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00879-3
Zheng M, Caiqing Y, Tong Z. Understanding sources of fine particulate matter in China. Philos Trans A. 2020; 378: e20190325. DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0325
Lung Care Foundation. Air pollution knowledge, attitude and practice (K.A.P.) survey in Delhi-NCR. [Place unknown]: Lung Care Foundation, 2020.
Chansuebsri S, Kolar P, Kraisitnitikul P, Kantarawilawan N, Yabueng N, Wiriya W, et al. Chemical composition and origins of PM2.5 in Chiang Mai (Thailand) by integrated source apportionment and potential source areas. Atmos Environ. 2024; 327: e120517. DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120517
Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand. New standard for ambient PM2.5 (draft proposal). Available from:https://www.pcd.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pcdnew-2021-01-28_08-42-24_325315.pdf, accessed 26 June 2024. (In Thai)
Parknum Samutprakarn Town Municipality. Local development plan (2023 - 2027) of Pak Nam Samut Prakan Municipality, Mueang District, Samut Prakan Province. Available from: https://parknumsamutprakarn.go.th/public/list/data/index/menu/1144, accessed 5 December, 2025. (In Thai)
Marine Department, Ministry of Transport of the Kingdom of Thailand. Passenger piers on Chao Phraya River in 2023 (from Samut Prakan to Phathum Thani provinces). Available from: https://md.go.th/category/stat-inf, accessed 26 June 2024. (In Thai)
Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry of the Kingdom of Thailand. List of factories. Available from: https://www.diw.go.th/webdiw/search-factory/, accessed 30 June 2024. (In Thai)
Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand. Air quality at Pak Nam Station, Samut Prakan Province. Available from: http://air4thai.pcd.go.th/, accessed 29 June 2024. (In Thai)
Thongphunchung K, Phosri A, Sihabut T, Patthanaissaranukool W. The association between exposure to PM10 and outpatient department visits for respiratory diseases among children aged 0-14 years in Samut Prakan province. Disease Control Journal. 2021; 41(1): 13-24. (In Thai)
Rendon-Marin S, Higuita-Gutiérrez LF, Gomez-Gallego DM. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding air pollution among medical students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(6): e789. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060789
Wang R, Yang Y, Chen R, Kan H, Wu J, Wang K, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the relationship between air pollution and children's respiratory health in Shanghai, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015; 12(2): 1834-48. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120201834
Liu S, Chiang Y, Tseng C, Yeh G, Fang W. The theory of planned behavior to predict protective behavioral intentions against PM2.5 in parents of young children from Urban and Rural Beijing, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018; 15: e2215. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102215
Holm SM, Miller MD, Balmes JR. Health effects of wildfire smoke in children and public health tools: a narrative review. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol; 31(1): 1-20. DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-00267-4
McDonal F, Horwell CJ, Wecker R, Dominelli L, Loh M, Kamanyire R, et al. Facemask use for community protection from air pollution disasters: An ethical overview and framework to guide agency decision making. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct. 2020; 43: e101376. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101376
Laumbach RJ, Cromar KR. Personal interventions to reduce exposure to outdoor air pollution. Annu Rev Public Health. 2022; 43: 293-309. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052120-103607
Yin C, Li H, Cha Y, Zhang S, Du J, Li Z, et al. Characterizing in-cabin air quality and vehicular air filtering performance for passenger cars in China. Environ Pollut. 2023; 318: e120884. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120884
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons License CC-BY-ND
