Assessing impact of Air Pollution on behavior of school children in Greater Noida, India

Abstract

Pollution has become one of the most prevalent issues faced by all the countries around the world. Air pollution, the leading form of pollution, is known to cause many diseases like lung problems, early stoke, pulmonary diseases, respiratory infections. Along with physical problems, pollution leads to numerous behavioral and psychological issues. Children are the most vulnerable population that are effected by prolonged pollution. The relevance of worst effects of pollution on children is evident from number of studies that have been conducted over the decades. Despite the availability of vast literature about effects of pollution, there are less studies that focus on an in depth analysis of effects of pollution on children. There is lack of structured measures that can be followed to deal with harmful effects of pollution on children. The current study intends to evaluate the psychosocial implications of air pollution on the behavior of adolescents. It was a descriptive observable cohort study conducted on a sample of 85 school children by using structured interview schedule. The findings of the study indicates significant  influence of air pollution on the behavioral aspects of the children including dependency, confusion, cries a lot, required attention, restlessness and hyperactiveness.