Adoption of Protective Behaviours: Residents Response to City Smog in Hefei, China

Abstract

City smog outbreaks in many Chinese cities aroused public concern about health risks and environmental pollution in China. This study investigates protective behaviours of the citizens in response to city smog using protective action decision to understand their actions. A survey was conducted in Hefei, Anhui in 2015, after the city experienced severe smog events. The data from 429 respondents supported the developed model. Hazard‐related attributes were the strongest predictors for willingness to adopt protective behaviours. Public risk perception only positively affected self‐protective actions. Information sources affected risk perception and increased the respondents’ self‐protective intentions. Older adults and respondents with lower educational levels were more likely to adopt environmentally friendly actions. The findings’ theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Exploring the influence of resiliency on physician trust in patients: An empirical study of Chinese incidents

“…It is worth discussing Hefei, the political, economic, and cultural capital of this landlocked central province. Identified by the Economist Intelligence Units as one of the top 20 emerging powerhouses in China [12], Hefei had the fastest growing metropolitan economy in the world in 2012 [13]. The medical and health undertakings in Anhui have been developing vigorously, and meanwhile, disputes between doctors and patients have occurred frequently.…”

The relationship between psychological health and social support: Evidence from physicians in China

“…Since 2018, Hefei has been ranked third in the list of "Chinese cities attracting talents", with Shanghai ranked first and Beijing ranked second. Identified by the Economist Intelligence Units as one of the top 20 emerging powerhouses in China [28], Hefei had the fastest-growing metropolitan economy in the world in 2012 [29]. Tianchang, a model city of China's medical reform, is located in the northeast of Anhui province and was another notable location of physicians studied in this survey.…”

Getting along with danger? Place attachment, employment relationship, and protective behaviour responses

“…Protective behaviours of individuals (or households) differ substantially in times of crises (Brody, Lee, & Highfield, ; Cheng, Wei, Marinova, & Guo, ; Lindell & Hwang, ). The behavioural outcome space (BOS) defined by Pennings and Grossman () reflects the multiplicity of citizens’ reactions to a (potential) crisis.…”

“…When living near a hazardous facility (e.g., a chemical plant or a waste‐to‐energy incinerator), people take actions to reduce exposure to risks—for example, seek information about pollution risks, consume bottled water, wear masks, and use air filters to reduce air pollution damage (Cheng et al, ). However, once the environmental pollution and threats continue for a long period of time (i.e., they become chronic), only those who perceive greater risks are more likely to protest the polluting object and even leave (Horie & Managi, ; Preston, Taylor, & Hedge, ).…”

“…Risk perception often produces multiple emotional reactions, such as anxiety, nervousness, and anger, which ultimately endanger health and induce a series of coping behaviours. There is abundant literature on risk perception and behavioural responses in different contexts, such as natural hazards (Bubeck, Botzen, & Aerts, ; De Dominicis et al, ), pandemic and malignant diseases (Prati, Pietrantoni, & Zani, ), environmental pollution (Cheng et al, ), food and drug safety (Feng, Keller, Wu, & Xu, ), and NIMBY facilities (Baxter et al, ).…”