title: A systematic review of the effectiveness of environmental awareness interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and summarize evidence on the effectiveness of interventions available to public health staff regarding the protection of the public from environmental risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  This systematic review involved a comprehensive literature search, screening for relevance, quality assessment of relevant studies, data extraction and synthesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen of 65 relevant studies were of 'moderate' or 'strong' quality. Intervention types in these 14 studies included: mass campaign, counselling, school curriculum, educational sessions, and distribution of printed materials. Short-term improvements in awareness or knowledge were observed in 13 of the 14 studies. Eight of 13 studies that examined behavioural outcomes observed short-term improvements in self-reported behavioural outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive short-term changes in health-protective awareness, knowledge and self-reported behaviour appear to be associated with relatively intensive interventions that use multiple methods and settings, and/or are delivered over multiple sessions.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion & Environmental Protection, Toronto Public Health, ON. mcampbe2@city.toronto.on.ca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buckeridge
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Sweatman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fung
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D002170:Canada; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011635:Public Health Administration; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care