Air Pollution - Information Needs and the Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour of Canadians - Final Report

9.0 Air Quality Index

An effective air quality index that would be used by the general public is an important component of the federal government's outreach activities with respect to air pollution and its possible impacts on the health of Canadians. Therefore, we investigated Canadians' attitudes and experiences with respect to a number of issues related to the air quality index. We examined Canadians' level of familiarity with the index, the frequency with which they currently use the index, the future likelihood of using the index among those not at all familiar with it, Canadians' preferences with respect to the format of air quality messages, the likelihood of a change in behaviour when confronted with an air quality warning, and the exact nature of this possible change in behaviour.

9.1 Familiarity With the Air Quality Index

A slight majority of Canadians are at least somewhat familiar with the air quality index.

Canadians are split with respect to their current level of awareness of the air quality index. About one-half (52%) report that they are familiar with the air quality index. However, this familiarity tends to be very soft. Four in ten (41%) say that they are somewhat familiar with this index, while only one in ten (11%) are very familiar with it. Almost one-half of Canadians (47%) are either not very (30%) or not at all familiar (17%) with the air quality index.

It appears that there is a relationship between educational attainment and familiarity with the air quality index. In general, better educated Canadians are more familiar with the index than less educated Canadians.

Residents of Ontario (64%), the most affluent Canadians (63%) and those between 45 and 59 years of age (57%) are also more familiar with this index than other Canadians. As well, anglophones (55%) are more familiar with the index than are francophones (43%).

Q.20 Would you say that you are very, somewhat, not very, or not at all familiar with the air quality index that is currently distributed in some media sources? (n=1,213)

It is worth noting that, while one-half of Canadians without respiratory illnesses (50%) are somewhat (40%) or very familiar (10%) with the air quality index, this proportion increases to six in ten among those with a respiratory illness (59% - 44% somewhat, 15% very familiar). This finding was also reflected in the focus groups, with participants who had respiratory problems or children with respiratory problems being more familiar with the air quality index than those who were not.

Q.20 Would you say that you are very, somewhat, not very, or not at all familiar with the air quality index that is currently distributed in some media sources? (n=1,213)

It is not surprising to find that those Canadians who are not concerned about air quality and those who feel that air pollution has little to no effect on health are the least familiar with the air quality index (31% and 36%, respectively). They tend to have little interest in air issues and would also likely be less inclined to have an interest in or seek out the air quality index. Residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan (39%), those who feel that individuals cannot take actions that will effectively reduce air pollution (42%), Quebecers (43%), those aged 16 to 29 years (43%), the least affluent (44%), Atlantic Canadians (45%), those who think that the air pollution situation in their community has remained constant over the last five years (45%) and those from communities of less than 5,000 inhabitants (46%) are also less familiar with this index.

With the exception of Vancouver, the focus group participants had a very low awareness of the existence of an air quality index. Vancouver participants were not only familiar with this index, a number of participants were able to provide a detailed description of the index and the information it provided.

9.2 Frequency of Use

A plurality of Canadians report occasional use of the air quality index; four in ten have never used it.

We asked survey respondents who had at least some level of familiarity with the air quality index⁶ about their personal use of the index. A plurality (42%) say that they use the index on an occasional basis, while just under two in ten (17%) report using it frequently. Four in ten (40%) have never used the air quality index.

In both the survey and in the focus groups, it is clear that familiarity with the air quality index has an important impact on its use. In general, the more familiar one is with the index, the more one uses it. With regard to the survey results, more than one half of those who are very familiar with this index (55%) say that they use it frequently. Those who are not very familiar with the index are much more likely to have never used it (66%). Canadians who are only somewhat familiar with the index are more inclined to only be occasional users (55%) of the index.

It seems that younger Canadians are less concerned with being informed about the current state of air quality in their community. While Canadians between 45 and 59 years of age (25%) are the most likely to report that they use the air quality index frequently, those between 16 and 29 years of age (49%) are the most likely to have never used this index.

As Canadians' level of concern about the possible health effects of air pollution increases, so too does the frequency of their use of the air quality index. Similarly, frequency of use of the index also increases as concern about air quality increases. Canadians who are less concerned about air quality and the possible health effects of air pollution are the most likely to report that they never use the air quality index. Concern about air quality and its possible effects on health have a clear impact on behaviour.

Q.21 How often do you personally use the air quality index? Is it ...? Subsample: Respondents who are very, somewhat or not very familiar with the air quality index (n=984)

Residents of Ontario and those with respiratory illnesses are more likely to be frequent users of the air quality index (24% and 22%, respectively). It is worth noting that Canadians who feel that the air pollution situation in their community has become worse in recent years and those who feel that it has improved are equally likely to be frequent users of the index (25% and 24%, respectively).

The most affluent Canadians (48%), those with respiratory illnesses (48%) and those from urban centres with more than one million inhabitants (47%) are the most likely to report at least occasional use of the air quality index.

Residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan (58%), Albertans (56%), Atlantic Canadians (54%) and those from communities of less than 5,000 inhabitants (50%) are the most likely to have never used the air quality index. These are areas where, traditionally, air quality has been less of an issue compared to other more industrialized and populated regions of the country; therefore, the need for an air quality index may not be as great.

It is clear that having a respiratory illness affects the likelihood of use of the air quality index. Canadians with a respiratory illness are much less likely than those who have not been diagnosed with a respiratory illness to have never used the index (30% vs. 43%). These findings are similar to those found in the focus groups. Those participants who suffered from respiratory ailments or who had children who suffered from these ailments are much more likely to use the air quality index than are those who did not.

Six in ten of those who are not at all familiar with the air quality index suggest that they would be at least somewhat likely to use it in the future.

It appears that a number of Canadians who have no current familiarity with the air quality index would use it in the future. Six in ten (59%) say that they would be somewhat (31%) or very likely (28%) to use the air quality index in the future if one existed in their area. One-third (34%) report that they would be not very (16%) or not at all likely (18%) to use it in the future. Seven percent do not offer an opinion on their possible future use of the air quality index.

Q.22 In some parts of Canada, air quality indexes inform the public about the level of air pollution in their area. If an air quality index existed in you area, would you say that you would be very, somewhat, not very, or not at all likely to use this index in the future?
Subsample: Respondents who are not at all familiar with the air quality index or dk/na (n=229)

Once again, concern about air quality has an impact on Canadians' attitudes and behaviour relating to air issues. Among those Canadians who are currently not at all familiar with the air quality index, the more concerned they are about air quality in general, the more likely they are to suggest that they would use the air quality index in the future.

Among those Canadians who are currently not at all familiar with the air quality index, those who feel that air pollution has a great deal of effect on health, the more affluent, and those who strongly agree that individuals can take actions to effectively reduce air pollution express are more likely to say they would use this index in the future. In addition, anglophones are more likely than francophones to say that they would use the index in the future if one existed in their area. In general, middle income Canadians, Quebecers, those who feel that air pollution has little to no effect on health and those who disagree that individuals can take actions to effectively reduce air pollution are much less likely to indicate that they would use the index in the future.

Q.22 In some parts of Canada, air quality indexes inform the public about the level of air pollution in their area. If an air quality index existed in you area, would you say that you would be very, somewhat, not very, or not at all likely to use this index in the future?
Subsample: Respondents who are not at all familiar with the air quality index or dk/na (n=229)

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⁶ This included those respondents who are very, somewhat or not very familiar with the air quality index.