Abstract
AirRater is a free smartphone app developed in 2015, supporting individuals to protect their health from environmental hazards. It does this by providing (i) location-specific and near real-time air quality, pollen and temperature information and (ii) personal symptom tracking functionality. This research sought to evaluate user perceptions of AirRater’s usability and effectiveness. We collected demographic data and completed semi-structured interviews with 42 AirRater users, identified emergent themes, and used two frameworks designed to understand and support behavior change—the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) and the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM)—to interpret results. Of the 42 participants, almost half indicated that experiencing symptoms acted as a prompt for app use. Information provided by the app supported a majority of the 42 participants to make decisions and implement behaviors to protect their health irrespective of their location or context. The majority of participants also indicated that they shared information provided by the app with family, friends and/or colleagues. The evaluation also identified opportunities to improve the app. Several study limitations were identified, which impacts the generalizability of results beyond the populations studied. Despite these limitations, findings facilitated new insights into motivations for behavior change, and contribute to the existing literature investigating the potential for smartphone apps to support health protection from environmental hazards in a changing climate.
Highlights
Air pollution, aeroallergens and heat represent important environmental health hazards that can greatly impact individual and community health
With environmental hazards likely to increase with a changing climate, the importance of effective interventions that successfully support users to undertake behaviors that protect health is imperative
As an app that acts as both a prevention and adaptation tool, AirRater provides an example of how apps can be utilized to support individual and community health
Summary
Aeroallergens and heat represent important environmental health hazards that can greatly impact individual and community health. Exposure to particulate matter (PM), a major component of air pollution, has been linked to various adverse health outcomes, including the development and worsening of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions [2,3]. These chronic health conditions that include heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed and developing countries [4]. Aeroallergens (primarily pollen and fungal spores) are common exposures worldwide and can provoke immune responses causing symptoms of allergic rhinitis, con-.
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