Effectiveness of a Knowledge-Oriented Educational Intervention on Air Pollution Health Protection Among Primary School Students: A Pilot Pre-Post Study

Background: Air pollution remains a major global public health challenge, and reducing its harmful health effects is urgent, particularly for children. The objective of this study was to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of knowledge-oriented education on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of air pollution health protection (APHP) in primary school students. Methods: We conducted a single-arm pre-post intervention study by enrolling 635 primary school students. A two-month knowledge-oriented education intervention was performed through health lectures, educational videos, and the distribution of educational materials. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the KAP of air pollution before and after the intervention. Results: After the intervention, the capability of air pollution protection was significantly improved as suggested by the significantly increased total score of KAP from 83.90± 8.75 to 92.28± 4.75, as well as its components including knowledge (20.45± 3.13 vs 23.20± 2.16), attitudes (31.60± 4.03 vs 34.54± 2.09), and practices (31.84± 4.89 vs 34.52± 2.67) (all P< 0.05). These increments seemed to be more apparent in students who did not live with their parents and those whose mothers had a higher education level. Conclusion: Our pilot study found that KAP of APHP was significantly improved by knowledge-oriented education in primary school students and provided preliminary evidence for its potential effectiveness in the improvement of APHP. A well-designed randomized trial is warranted to demonstrate this effectiveness.