Abstract

The medium cities of southern Chile suffer critical episodes every winter due to emission of large quantities of PM2.5 from wood-burning stoves and wood cookstoves. Policy makers have implemented atmospheric decontamination plans, which include awareness campaigns to promote self-protective behaviors such as wearing face masks or exercising only within walls. The objective of this study was to analyze the role of psychosocial factors in the adoption of self-protective behaviors against air pollution in residents of Temuco and Padre Las Casas. A non-experimental, cross-sectional and correlational-scope study was carried out, based on a non-probabilistic sample of 489 participants. Descriptive-comparative and correlation tests were performed, as well as ordinal logistic regression models. The results show that women, participants with previous respiratory illnesses, and those with higher education are more likely to protect themselves against pollution. These participants tend to be more aware of poor air quality and better perceive the severity of its effects. Although this study shows that psychosocial variables are relevant to understanding adherence to self-protective behaviors, each of these behaviors must be understood differently, since the determining factors vary in each of them.