A survey of PM2.5preventive behavioral intention and related factors among community elderly in Northern Taiwan

Abstract

Population aging and air pollution are global concerns. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5μm or less (PM2.5) knowledge, PM2.5preventive attitude, and PM2.5preventive behavioral intention in the elderly.A cross-sectional survey design was applied in this study, including usage intention and snowball sampling. A total of 617 elderly people aged over 65 participated, and the collected data were quantitatively analyzed.The results showed that the mean score of PM2.5knowledge of the elderly was 10.34 (79.53%) with the standard deviation (SD) of 3.42, the mean score of PM2.5preventive attitude was 4.58 (91.60%) with SD of 0.49, and the mean score of PM2.5preventive behavioral intention was 4.72 (94.40%) with SD of 0.40. Elderly people's characteristics regarding PM2.5knowledge and PM2.5preventive attitude explained 22% (adjusted R2=0.22, F=30.44, P