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Although regulation of emissions is the primary strategy to reduce air pollution–related morbidity, individual-level interventions are also helpful in mitigating health impacts. We used data from 2007–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to study the prevalence of individual-level action among the US adult population if informed of air pollution, and to see if this differed by demographic and health factors. Only 13.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.6–15.4%) of participants aware of air quality reported changing their individual behaviors. Males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.56–0.77) and those without cardiovascular disease (AOR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.47–0.71) were least likely to take action. Results show that individual action was infrequent among the population. Health promotion of individual intervention is necessary, and this effort may need to target specific subgroups of the population. Further studies on effective individual interventions are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the relationship of air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits for asthma was an opportunity to assess environmental risks for asthma exacerbations in an urban population. A total of 6,979 individuals with a primary discharge diagnosis of asthma presented to 1 of 6 EDs in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area between 2002 and 2005. Using a case-crossover methodology, which controls for the effects of subject-specific covariates such as gender and race, a 2.5% increase was observed in asthma ED visits for each 10 ppb increase in the 1-hour maximum ozone level on day 2 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.025, p < .05). Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) had an effect both on the total population on day 1 after exposure (1.036, p < .05), and on African Americans on days 1, 2, and 3. PM2.5 had no significant effect on Caucasian Americans alone. The disparity in risk estimates by race may reflect differences in residential characteristics, exposure to ambient air pollution, or a differential effect of pollution by race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study on the behavior and perception of using personal protective equipment (PPE) among commercial landscapers. Landscapers are exposed to several chemicals including pesticides, fertilizer, and fuels, besides outdoor heat, sun's ultraviolet radiation, and poisonous plants and insects. The findings of the study showed that most workers knew about the importance of using PPE, a more robust study is needed to examine the use of safety gear and work-related injuries.