"10 Things we can do" - developing air pollution exposure reduction and lung health advice for people with asthma

Air pollution from bushfires, cars and wood heaters can trigger symptoms and distress in people with asthma. As highlighted by the 2019/20 bushfires, there remains a critical lack of accessible tools, resources and advice empowering people with asthma to effectively reduce their air pollution exposure.
This project will address this gap via a three-phase process: (i) synthesizing the best available scientific evidence on air pollution reduction measures; (ii) creating new communication tools and education resources based on this evidence; and (iii) disseminating those resources to target audiences.
Importantly, our project incorporates extensive consumer engagement that will use focus groups, roundtable discussions and interviews to understand the needs of people with asthma, including consumers from Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, health professional and policy makers.
Using our expertise in community engagement and science communication, we will translate findings from the evidence synthesis and consumer engagement into accessible advice that communicates practical steps for reducing air pollution exposure.
These will be presented in a variety of formats targeting: (1) people of Aboriginal, and Arabic backgrounds; (2) health professionals; (3) policy makers to stimulate policy action for clean air.
We will jointly create and disseminate a range of resources on air pollution and lung health, such as factsheets, infographics, podcasts, mobile app, policy briefing, media articles, and an online course. Targeted resources will be culturally and/or linguistically adapted for Aboriginal and Arabic communities in bushfire prone regions. Together these resources will empower people with asthma to reduce their exposure.