| Indoor air pollution is
linked to Acute Lower Respiratory Infection (ALRI) in
children less than five years of age and accounts for
a significant proportion of death and illness in developing
countries. A team from the Medical Research Council
(MRC) of South Africa with support from the CHANGE project,
used formative research to identify behaviors that could
reduce indoor air pollution.
The "identification" phase of the research
found that two of the most commonly used interventions
- changing to less polluting fuels or repairing or replacing
stoves - were not economically feasible for these mostly
low - income families.
The “trials” phase used the TIPS (Trials
of Improved Practices) methodology, a formative
research method that involves asking families to
try selected behaviors and identifying the factors
that helped them maintain the positive behaviors
or the barriers to practicing them. The results
of the trials showed that two of the four behaviors
tested- reducing the amount of time young children
spent close to a cooking fire and reducing the
burning time of solid fuel- were feasible for most
of the families that tried them. Most of these
families said they were willing to continue practicing
these behaviors in the future because they had
noticed improvements in their child’s health
and/or that their house was cleaner. This two phase
process of screening and evaluating behaviors was effective
to help reduce indoor air pollution. (More)
>> Phase I Study: The Identification of Behavioural
Intervention Opportunities to Reduce Child Exposure
to Indoor Air Pollution in Rural South Africa [PDF -
97.7kb]
>> Phase
II Study: Testing Behaviors To Reduce Child Exposure
To Indoor Air Pollution In Rural South Africa [PDF
- 312KB]
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on Child Health
>> Presentations on Indoor Air Pollution |
