The knowledge of pulmonologists and patients with respiratory diseases about the impact of air pollution on health

Abstract

Due to air pollution over 48,000 people die prematurely each year in Poland. The aim of the study was to compare the awareness of pulmonologists and patients with respiratory diseases about the impact of air pollution on the health, as well as assess the sources of this knowledge and implementations of the knowledge in practice. The study was based on a voluntary and anonymous survey. The study included 167 pulmonologists and 261 patient with respiratory diseases. The majority of patients declared more than a good knowledge about the impact of air pollution on health and less than 20% of pulmonologists declared sufficient knowledge in this topic. The main source of information on smog for patients is radio and television, and for doctors the medical press. Doctors rarely inform patients about the impact of smog on their disease. Patients more often than doctors declare also greater interest in the problem of the impact of air pollution on health. More often than doctors, they track the level of smog in their area and some of them use protection measures. Declared and real patients' knowledge about the main sources of air pollution in their area was much higher than the knowledge of pulmonologists. Patients declared knowledge of air pollution standards twice as often as doctors. The patients poorly assess the activity of central and local authorities in reducing air pollution. Patients with respiratory diseases are interested in the effects of air pollution on their health. Their knowledge of patients about air pollution and health effects is higher than that of specialists treating them. First of all, professional education of doctors in this field is needed.