Victoria Varblow
Research Mentor(s): Caroline Beckman
Mentor Department: SEAS
Authors: Victoria Varblow, Caroline Beckman
Session: Session 7 (4:00pm – 4: 50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 1
Abstract
Increasing instances of wildfires as a result of climate change have effects that impact the actions of people around the world, including in the U.S. Specifically, wildfire smoke poses a significant health risk to these people. The perceived threat of wildfire smoke is critical in advancing the protective actions of officials and individuals. This project is important as it can add to the limited knowledge of the effects of wildfire smoke on human behavior as the impacts of climate change result in more people affected by wildfire smoke. We conducted a systematic review of the literature using 5 databases and ended with 40 articles to be included in the review, and we coded the selected articles to determine how each article contributed to the literature. The result of the research will provide valuable information on how people react to the smoke. The results revealed that factors like risk perception, self-efficacy, and past experiences influenced protective actions, whereas communication limits and knowledge gaps impeded peoples’ responses. This will become increasingly important as the number of wildfires increases, particularly in the western U.S., as they affect a larger population of people. Better understanding how people respond to smoke will help create better health communications, policies, and programs.
