title: Improving Knowledge about Children's Environmental Health in Northwest China.
abstract: The main purpose of this study was to identify policy maker opinions and attitudes towards children's environmental health (CEH), potential barriers to child-specific protective legislation and implementation in northwest China, and evaluate knowledge and attitudes about CEH before and after an educational conference. We conducted seventy-two interviews with regional officials, researchers and non-governmental organization representatives from five provinces, and surveyed participants (forty-seven) before and after an educational conference in northwest China about CEH. Interviews identified general consensus among participants of the adverse effects of air pollution on children, yet few participants knew of policies to protect them. Barriers identified included limited funding and enforcement, weak regional governments and absence of child-specific policy-making. After the conference, substantially greater self-efficacy was identified for lead, mercury, air pollution and polychlorinated biphenyls (+0.57-0.72 on a 1-5 Likert scale, p = 0.002-0.013), and the scientific knowledge for the role of environment in children's health (+0.58, p = 0.015), and health care provider control (+0.52, p = 0.025) were rated more strongly. We conclude that policy makers in Northwest China appreciate that children are uniquely vulnerable, though additional regulations are needed to account for that vulnerability. Further research should examine effectiveness of the intervention on a larger scale and scope, and evaluate the usefulness of such interventions in translating research into improved care/reduced exposure to environmental hazards.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. Niujingp@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jingping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, 227 East 30th Street, Rm 735, New York, NY 10016, USA. Qingshan.Qu@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Qingshan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. lijsh@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Juansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. liuxr@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xingrong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. zhangbzh@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Benzhong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. lizhl@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhilan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. dinggw@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guowu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. sunyb@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yingbiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. shiyr13@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yanrong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. wanyx@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yaxiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. huxiaobin@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, 227 East 30th Street, Rm 735, New York, NY 10016, USA. lung-chi.chen@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Lung-Chi
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. Alan.Mendelsohn@nyumc.org.|New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Alan.Mendelsohn@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendelsohn
authors.affiliation: Departments of Environmental Medicine, Lanzhou University School of Public Health, 199 Donggang Xi Lu, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. Yu.Chen@nyumc.org.|New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Yu.Chen@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, 227 East 30th Street, Rm 735, New York, NY 10016, USA. Leonardo.Trasande@nyumc.org.|Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. Leonardo.Trasande@nyumc.org.|New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. Leonardo.Trasande@nyumc.org.|Wagner School of Public Service, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA. Leonardo.Trasande@nyumc.org.|Department of Nutrition, Food &amp; Public Health, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. Leonardo.Trasande@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trasande
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D000067576:Child Health / Q000592:standards*; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011050:Policy Making; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: air pollution; children’s environmental health; educational intervention; policy making