Reducing car idling at primary schools: An intervention study of parent behaviour change in Perth, Western Australia.

Issued addressed: There is increasing evidence that exposure to traffic‐related air pollution is related to childhood respiratory symptoms. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of an anti‐idling behavioural intervention targeting parents at primary schools. Methods: Based on two focus group discussions with parents, a low‐intensity 4‐week anti‐idling intervention was developed, comprising onsite signage, four newsletters, and two fact sheets. Exposure to selected air pollutants was assessed during pick‐up and drop‐off times pre‐ and postintervention at 12 randomly selected independent schools (10 intervention and 2 control) across the Perth metropolitan area. Results: The study results showed that a low‐intensity behavioural intervention can be an effective strategy to affect parents' attitude towards vehicle idling. This was demonstrated by the reduced number of idling vehicles observed in 8 of the 10 intervention schools and decreased overall particulate matter concentration after the anti‐idling intervention. Conclusion: Anti‐idling education can be effective in promoting clean travel behaviours and has potential health benefits for school children. So what?: This intervention study provides insights on the significant effect of anti‐idling education on parents' behaviour towards air quality and children's health. These promising findings warrant further rigorous actions on anti‐idling education and enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]