Factors Influencing Health Behavior Related to Particulate Matter in Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study aimed to investigate health behavior related to particulate matter (PM) in older adults and examine the factors affectingit. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected from 150 voluntary older adult participants from Songpa-gu inSeoul. The survey questions measured service perception and experience related to PM, risk perception related to PM, attitude toward riskof PM, and health behavior related to PM. @*Results@#The average score for health behavior related to PM was 79.37, ranging from 51 to 115.There was a significant positive correlation between health behavior related to PM and risk perception related to PM (r=.58, p <.001) as wellas between health behavior related to PM and attitude toward risk of PM (r=.70, p<.001). Multiple linear regression revealed that healthbehavior related to PM was predicted by levels of the existence of disease related to PM (β=.14, p=.019), service experience related to PM(b=.20, p=.021), risk perception related to PM (b=.20, p=.019), and attitude toward risk of PM (b=.44, p<.001). The model including thesevariables accounted for 47.0% of health behavior related to PM. @*Conclusion@#Korean older adults have the low level of health behaviorrelated to PM. The findings of this study emphasize that risk perception and attitude toward risk of PM should be evaluated, and theunderlying diseases related to PM and their service experience should be considered in developing intervention to improve health behaviorrelated to PM.