Abstract:

This study aims to understand college students’ understanding and precautions on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollutants, including their behavior intentions and other related factors. This study adopts the cross-sectional method, selecting a total of 441 valid random samples in an university located in New Taipei to see how the students’ gender, family background, and educational participation affects their understanding and precautions on PM2.5, as well as their behavior intentions etc.

This study also seeks to explore the difference on knowledge and attitude between students of difference background variables. Data analysis as below:
1. On behavior intentions of pollution prevention: There is a significant difference between students of different genders. This research shows that females are more precautious about preventing PM2.5, and reducing the effects of it on themselves than males.
2. There are also significant differences in the object of prevention and control of PM2.5 in different college categories. In this sample, the reduction in college students' behavior is different due to the difference in the college. According to the results, it can be found that the reduction of the educational college, the liberal arts college, the art college, the management school is higher than that of the sports and leisure college, and the mean difference is statistically significant.
3. Participating in environmental workshops is related to the prevention and control of PM2.5 among college students.
4. There is no significant difference between parent occupation and students' PM2.5 knowledge, sensitivity, and attitudes.
5. On the knowledge of the status quo of PM2.5: Most of them have a higher than average degree of PM2.5 knowledge, and hold a positive attitude towards environmental sensitivity.

The correlation coefficient between PM2.5 knowledge, environmental sensitivity and attitude is .621, and the standard deviations of behavioral intentions are .93, .225, .443. The overall explained variance has reached a significant standard; therefore we can estimate that PM2.5 knowledge, environmental sensitivity and attitude can effectively forecast behavioral intentions of pollution prevention.

Keywords:

PM2.5, college students, environmental sensitivity, behavioral intentions.