Influential Factors of Air Pollution Awareness in Isfahan, Iran

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

1 Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non- communicable disease, and Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

The main objectives of the present study are to both evaluate the level of awareness about air pollution and examine the determinants, likely to affect this awareness. As a result, it discusses influential factors on air pollution awareness, presenting findings from a case study, conducted in the city of Isfahan, Iran, wherein 400 individuals have been selected via proportional random sampling and the data has been collected by means of a questionnaire, provided by the authors, the validity of which has been confirmed by a panel of experts. As for the assessment of the questionnaire’s reliability, this study has used Cronbach's alpha to find out that it has been beyond 0.7 for all variables. The data have been analyzed, using descriptive and inferential statistics, such as the extent of mean, standard deviation, the coefficient of variation, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. Results from the latter show that level of education, level of using information sources, membership, motivation, and participation could explain 50% of the variations in the level of awareness concerning air pollution.

Keywords


Aminrad, Z., Zakaria, Sh. Z. B. S. and Hadi A. S. (2011). Influence of Age and Level of Education on Environmental Awareness and Attitude: Case Study on Iranian Students in Malaysian Universities. The social Sciences Journal, 6(1); 15-19.
Aminrad, Z., Zakaria, Sh. Z. B. S., Hadi A. S. and Sakari M. (2013). Relationship Between Awareness, Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Environmental Education Among Secondary School Students in Malaysia. World Applied Sciences Journal, 22 (9);1326-1333.
Assari, A., Maghreby, Sh. and Mousavinik, M. (2017).  Investigation of smart growth in traditional Islamic culture: Case study of Isfahan city in Iran. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 10(4); 47-56.
Bhartiya, Kr. T. (2017).  Assessment of Environmental Awareness Among General Public of Assam (India). International Journal of Applied Environmental Sciences, 12; 1359-1365.
Cokcaliskan, H. and Celik, O. (2017). Investigation of pre-service classroom teachers’ environmental awareness and attitudes. International Electronic Journal of Environmental Education, 7 (2); 73-83.
Dakcko, M. (2010). Systems Dynamics in Modeling Sustainable Management of the Environment and Its Resources. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 19 (4); 699-706.
Dimitriou, A. and Chirstidou, V. (2007). Public’s understanding of air pollution. International Journal of Educational Research, 42 (1); 24-29.
Hassana, A., Noordina, T. A. and Sulaimana, S. (2010). The status on the level of environmental awareness in the concept of sustainable development amongst secondary school students. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal, 2; 1276–1280.
Jafari, N., Ebrahimi A. A., Mohammadi A., Hajizadeh Y. and Abdolahnejad, A. (2017).  Evaluation of Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Air Quality Index and Ambient Air Pollutants in Isfahan using Geographic Information System. Journal of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development, 2(2); 261-70.
Kamaruddin, S. M., Ahmad, P. and Alwee, N. (2016). Community Awareness on Environmental Management through Local Agenda 21 (LA21). Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal, 222; 729 – 737.
Karatekin, K. (2014).  Social studies pre-service teachers’ awareness of solid waste and recycling. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal, 116; 1797-1801.   
Kaur, J. (2017).  Environmental Awareness among +1 class school students of Hoshiarpur Distric. Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22(2); 07-12.
Kim, M., Yi, O. and Kim, H. (2012). The role of differences in individual and community attributes in perceived air quality. Science of the Total Environment Journal, 425; 20–26.
Kollmus, A. and Agymean, J. (2002). Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?. Environmental Education Research Journal, 8(3); 239-260.
Lahiri, S. (2011). Assessing the Environmental Attitude among Pupil Teachers in Relation To Responsible Environmental Behavior: A Leap towards Sustainable Development. Journal of Social Sciences, 7(1); 33-41.
La Trobe, H. L. L. and Cott, T.G. A. A. (2000).  Modified NEP/DSP Environmental Attitudes Scale. The Journal of Environmental Education, 32(1); 12-20.
Majumder, A. K. (2017). Assessments of Environmental Awareness Among the Some Selective University Students of Bangladesh. American Journal of Education and Information Technologies, 1(2); 38-42.
Meia, N. S., Waia, C.W. and Ahmad, R. (2016). Environmental Awareness and Behavior Index for Malaysia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal, 222; 668 – 675.
Momeni, M. (2012). Analysis of Environmental Pollution Status in Isfahan City. International Proceedings of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, 42(26), 136-140.
Newhouse, N. (1990). Implications of Attitude and Behavior Research for Environmental Conservation. Journal of Environmental Education, 1(22); 26-32.
Piekarskil, W., Stoma, M., Duziak, A., Andrejko, D. and Ślaska-Grzywna, B. (2016).  How Location Shapes Environmental Awareness Among Inhabitants of Eastern Poland – An Empirical Study. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 25(2); 733-740.
Segarra-Ona, M., Peiro-Signes, A. and Mondejarilmenez, J. (2013).  Identifying Variables Affecting the Proactive Environmental Orientation of Firms: An Empirical Study. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 22 (3); 873-880.
Semenza, J.C., Wilson, D. J., Parra, J., Bontempo, B. D., Hart, M., Saillor, D.J. and George, L.A. (2008). Public perception and behavior change in relationship to hot weather and air pollution. International. Journal of Environmental Research, 107; 401– 411.
Sharma, A. (2017). Impact of Social Desirability and Environmental Awareness on Ecological Behavior among Students. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 4(98); 158-165.
Shobeiri, S. M., Omidvar, B. and Prahallada, N. N. A. (2007). Comparative Study of Environmental Awareness among Secondary School Students in Iran and India. International. Journal of Environmental Research, 1 (1); 28-36.
Singh, N. K. (2017).  Relation between Environmental Awareness and Scientific Attitude. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 6 (7); 54-57.
Steg, L., Bolderdijk, J. W., Kekizer, K. and Perlaviciute, G. (2014).  An integrated framework for encouraging pro-environmental behavior: The role of values, situational factors and goals. Journal of Environmental psychology, 38; 104-115.
Tamjidi, M., Rashidi, Y., Atabi, F. and Broomandi, P. (2018). An Innovative Method to Allocate Air-Pollution-Related Taxes using Aermod Modeling (Case study: Besat Power Plant). Pollution, 4(2); 281-290.
World Health Organization. (2016). WHO Ambient Air Pollution: A Global Assessment of Exposure and Burden of Disease. WHO library cataloguing-in-publication data, Geneva, Switzerland.
Yazdanparast, T., Salehpour, S., Masjedi, M. R., Azin S. A., Seyedmehdi, S. M., Boyes, E., Stanisstreet, M. and Attarchi, M. (2013). Air Pollution: The Knowledge and Ideas of Students in Tehran-Iran, and A Comparison with Other Countries. Acta Medica Iranica, 51(7); 487-493.