Doctoral Dissertation Research: Public responses to risk information and motivation for continued information seeking in the context of weatherization and indoor air quality

风化是一种有效的方法，可以提高家庭的能源效率，为房主节省资金，同时减少他们的碳足迹。风化通常包括增加或更换隔热层，安装更高效的窗户，以及密封计划外的气流。这样的措施通常会导致室内空气减少。然而，许多在室内发现的消费品和建筑材料会释放出会污染室内空气的化学物质。事实上，室内空气污染可能比室外空气污染高几倍；而计划不周、减少通风的风化会导致室内空气污染更加集中。目前的研究项目寻求找到传播风化的健康风险的最佳方式。这项研究涉及对从一项全国性调查中收集的数据进行分析，该调查旨在确定人们对风险信息的反应与他们未来寻求信息的需求和行为之间的关系。与信息寻求相关的其他变量，如对行为的态度、社会规范、自我效能感、自我认同、知觉知识和既往行为，也被考察。这项研究的结果将有助于宣传风化的健康风险，因为它展示了许多潜在因素的相关影响。如果公众教育工作因此得到改善，那么房主将能够做出更明智的决定，决定他们希望对房屋进行哪种能源改善。

Weatherization can be an effective way to improve a home's energy efficiency and save homeowners money while reducing their carbon footprint. Weatherization usually involves adding or replacing insulation, installing more efficient windows, and sealing off unplanned airflow. Such measures often result in less outdoor air coming inside. Many consumer products and building materials found indoors, however, emit chemicals that can pollute the indoor air. In fact, indoor air pollution can be several times higher than outdoor air pollution; and poorly-planned weatherization that reduces ventilation can cause indoor air pollution to concentrate even more. The current research project seeks to find the best way to communicate the health risks of weatherization. The research involves the analysis of data gathered from a national survey designed to identify relationships between how people respond to risk messages and their future information seeking needs and behaviors. Other variables related to information seeking, such as attitude toward the behavior, social norms, self efficacy, self identity, perceived knowledge and past behavior, are also examined. The findings of this study will benefit efforts to communicate the health risks of weatherization by demonstrating the relevant influence of many potential factors. If public education efforts improve as a result, then homeowners will be able to make more informed decisions about what kinds of energy improvements they wish to make on their homes.