Background and study aims
Air pollution is a risk factor for many health conditions including cardiovascular, respiratory, and birth outcomes. Although we spend 90% of our time indoors with approximately 2/3 of this time spent in our homes, attention has mostly been paid to outdoor air pollution. We lack good information about the sources, transformations, and mixture of indoor air with outdoor air pollutants even while we know that building types and certain activities and behaviours, such as cooking, cleaning, use of candles and fragranced products, and ventilation, can impact on our exposures and health.
In INGENIOUS (Understanding the sources, transformations, and fates of indoor air pollutants), we will recruit 300 Born in Bradford families and, together with partners from the University of York, University of Manchester, University of Cambridge, and University of Sheffield to examine:
What does the study involve?
We will recruit 300 BiB families to take part in a 2-week data collection period. We will explore how the physical characteristics of buildings and occupant behaviours influence levels of indoor air pollution and relate these to physical and mental health outcomes. Participants will have a variety of air pollution monitors placed in the home at various locations during this time and will complete a daily diary of behaviours and activities so that we can understand whether certain activities are related to peaks or drops in indoor air quality. Collected data will be fed back to families. We will also identify enablers and barriers to behaviours which may reduce levels of indoor air pollutants and work with our community to co-produce and evaluate interventions to improve indoor air pollution.
Where is the study run from?
University of York (UK).
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2021 to August 2025.
Who is funding the study?
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
