title: Industrial air pollution in rural Kenya: community awareness, risk perception and associations between risk variables.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Developing countries have limited air quality management systems due to inadequate legislation and lack of political will, among other challenges. Maintaining a balance between economic development and sustainable environment is a challenge, hence investments in pollution prevention technologies get sidelined in favor of short-term benefits from increased production and job creation. This lack of air quality management capability translates into lack of air pollution data, hence the false belief that there is no problem. The objectives of the study were to: assess the population's environmental awareness, explore their perception of pollution threat to their health; examine the association between specific health hazards.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was implemented by gathering quantitative information on demographic, health status, environmental perception and environmental knowledge of residents to understand their view of pollution in their neighborhood. Focus group discussions (FGDs) allowed for corroboration of the quantitative data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 80% of respondents perceived industrial pollution as posing a considerable risk to them despite the fact that the economy of the area largely depended on the factory. Respondents also argued that they had not been actively involved in identifying solutions to the environmental challenges. The study revealed a significant association between industrial pollution as a risk and, perception of risk from other familiar health hazards. The most important factors influencing the respondents' pollution risk perception were environmental awareness and family health status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study avails information to policy makers and researchers concerning public awareness and attitudes towards environmental pollution pertinent to development and implementation of environmental policies for public health.
authors.affiliation: Impact Research and Development Organization, Kisumu, Kenya. omangae@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Eunice
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Omanga
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ulmer
authors.forename: Zekarias
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Berhane
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gatari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001290:Attitude; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003906:Developing Countries; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D058735:Environmental Policy; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007630:Kenya; D010465:Perception; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012306:Risk; D012424:Rural Population
references.citation: Risk Anal. 1999 Aug;19(4):621-34
references.pmid: 10765426
references.citation: Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Apr;113(4):369-74
references.pmid: 15811824
references.citation: J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2007 Nov;18(4 Suppl):165-83
references.pmid: 18065858
references.citation: Risk Anal. 2004 Feb;24(1):115-29
references.pmid: 15028005
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 1993 Sep;37(6):791-804
references.pmid: 8211295
references.citation: Int J Epidemiol. 2000 Feb;29(1):149-57
references.pmid: 10750617
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2003 Jul;112(1 Pt 2):211-7
references.pmid: 12837913
references.citation: Lancet. 2000 Sep 2;356(9232):795-801
references.pmid: 11022926
references.citation: Sci Total Environ. 2005 Apr 1;341(1-3):241-9
references.pmid: 15833255
references.citation: Risk Anal. 1994 Oct;14(5):815-28
references.pmid: 7800866
references.citation: Risk Anal. 1994 Dec;14(6):1101-8
references.pmid: 7846319
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 1984 May;74(5):444-8
references.pmid: 6711717
references.citation: J Environ Health. 2007 Sep;70(2):57
references.pmid: 17886585
references.citation: J Exp Psychol Hum Learn. 1978 Nov;4(6):579-81
references.pmid: 731196
references.citation: Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2001 Mar;9(3):154-60
references.pmid: 11349350