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Introduction

Air is necessary for survival, breathing in polluted air is

a threat to the health and existence of humans. Samaritanos’ taking

into considerations the 1,185 students who are commuting, which is

more than the number of available public utility vehicles (PUV'S),

as well as the heavy traffic. In commuting, Samaritanos’ cannot

avoid the smoky and dirty environment which is caused by the air

pollution that can cause health issues. (Natividad, 2017)

“Air pollution affects each and every one of us. We need

stronger coordination and wider collaboration so we can once and

for all solve our air pollution problem,” said by the Environment

Secretary, Roy Cimatu (2018).

The Asian Development Bank (ABD) study and the World Health

Organization, 2017, revealed that the tricycles are the major

source of noise even in the presence of the mandatory law on tail

pipe emission tests. Noise pollution can cause hypertension, high

stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and

other harmful and disturbing effects. According to 2019 review of

the existing literature, nose pollution was associated with faster

cognitive decline. This includes the hazards it pose to human

health.

It’s a risk that Samaritanos’ should be aware of, and most

Samaritanos’ are exposed to this risk everyday even without

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wildfires in Cabanatuan City. One of the largest sources of carbon

monoxide in the city of Cabanatuan are vehicle emissions. The

emissions problem in the Cabanatuan is compounded by old,

inefficient vehicles that continue to ply the streets. According

to the author Balaria et. Al., 2017, in Cabanatuan City,

Philippines, this mode of transportation comprises more than 50%

of conveyances in view of the limited routes that jeepney could

take.

Tricycle is already a part of every Cabanatueno’s everyday

living. It is used as a mode of commuting, freight delivery system,

private family service and source of income. A rough estimate made

by the City Legalization Office in charge of issuing franchise to

tricycle operators showed that there are 10,000 driver-operators

of motorized tricycle plying daily in the city with color coding

in place.

This research was conducted because the researchers want to

know how aware the respondents are about the air pollution that

can bring health issues to everyone who are experiencing the

effects of air pollution.

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Review of Related Literature

This review of related literature will support the research

facts and will provide further information about the topic which

is the awareness of students towards the health risk brought by

air pollution. This part of the study includes the different

studies related to the topic chosen by the researchers.

In this study, the researchers will state the causes, effects

and preventions of air pollution that will give extra knowledge

and raise awareness among students about the topic. Those

unnecessary topics and studies with no sense are excluded in this

review.

Age and Awareness Towards Health Risk Brought by Air Pollution

“Why Should Children Be Aware of the Hazards of Rising

Pollution?,” 2018, talked about the possible time that is about to

come when breathing without masks and oxygen cylinders will no

longer remain feasible. It is necessary that today’s younger

generation is taught of the rising pollution and the effects it is

posing to the planet and the life on it. Children of today must be

educated and made aware so they will see a greater picture of the

world they live in and how the interconnection of all the elements

in nature makes up their living place.

Jimeno, 2018, said that air pollution affects each and every

one of us, which is why every individual needs stronger

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coordination and wider collaboration so everyone once and for all

solve our air pollution problem. With proper environmental

education and awareness, children will be aware of the pollution

and its effects, which will help them grow real concern that will

motivate them to change their behavior for a better future and

healthier environment.

The study of Kecorius et. Al., 2018, shows the result on how

people spend their daily time in Metro Manila Philippines. People

spend less time at home on workdays than weekends, the fraction of

time spent at work or school increases with age until retirement.

Adult males spend less time at home than females, and most of the

people living in Manila spend most of their time indoors. They

discovered that people in Metro Manila spend 11% of their daily

time on average in transit traffic, that is why, the population of

Metro Manila is at a higher risk of increased exposure to toxic

pollutants and bad health symptoms.

Sex and Awareness Towards Health Risk Brought by Air Pollution

Davidson & Freudenburg, 2015, have illustrated a meta-

analysis which shows how women are more concerned about

environmental issues, not because they know less, but because they

care more. This explains that women are traditionally the

caretakers and nurturers in society. Women are believed to be

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closer to nature and more inclined towards protective attitudes

about the environment.

A study conducted by Garcia & Luansing, 2016, the result of

students in CALABARZON shows that a greater number of female (72%)

has a high level environmental awareness compared to male

respondents (54%).

This study that compares the gender gap and environmental

attitudes shows that female are more likely to cooperate in the

environmental practices and management. The studies frequently

find strong gender gap in environmental awareness and the great

interest in environmentalism were among female.

Grade Level and Awareness Towards Health Risk Brought by Air

Pollution

Adefoke, Miji, Mukhola, 2017, conducted a study where the

participants were Grade 8 to Grade 12. The researchers’ argument

about the importance of knowing and being aware of environmental

matters were believed to be important for the students in their

teen years to be conscious and responsible adults who will take

care of their environment.

Another study of Dhanya & Pankajam, 2017, also tackled the

environmental awareness among secondary school students. The

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findings reveal 26% of the secondary students belong to low level

of environmental awareness, 48% of the secondary students belong

to moderate level of environmental awareness, and 26.6% of the

secondary students blong to high level of environmental awareness.

Also, it is found that there is no significant impact of

environmental awareness among secondary school students. Finally,

the present study of environmental awareness among secondary

school students has moderate level of awareness.

Relationship Status and Awareness Towards Health Risk Brought by

Air Pollution

Lieflander et al., 2013, said that it is vital to realize the

constructive relationship between humans and nature so as to deal

with environmental problems today. Under this variable, in a

relationship or not, everyone has a knowledge about the effects of

air pollution. The relationship status of individuals is not

connected on how aware they may be towards the health issues caused

by air pollution.

Just like the study of Shobeiri, Rout, Agarwal, 2015, sex had

no impact on environmental awareness of students, the same as the

relationship status that does not affect the awareness of

individuals about air pollution which was also tackled during

elementary and junior high school days.

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Strand and Awareness Towards Health Risk Brought by Air Pollution

The Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics focuses on

the subjects related to its own strand, which means, students under

this strand are more likely to have knowledge about the effects of

air pollution especially on everyone’s health, because of

Environmental Science subject. The students under this strand have

specialized subjects which covers the air pollution and the harm

it may bring. The National Science Foundation recognizes

Environmental Science as a STEM discipline which provides the

students with critical thinking skills and give the students a

science-based discussions for advancing sustainability in a

rapidly changing world. (Geidel & Winner, 2015)

Carpio, 2018, said that other strands like Accountancy

Business and Management, Humanities and Social Sciences, and

General Academic Strand have its own specialized subjects, but do

not focus on environmental issues unlike STEM.

A study of Moreno, 2018, pointed that STEM strand

provides a strong foundation for developing the environmental

health literacy of Kindergarten students through K-12 program

under STEM that develops the critical thinking, communication and

numeracy skills, including the deep knowledge of systems and

processes that are necessary and can be used in everyday life.

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According to Biliran, 2018, each of the four academic strands

have its own set of subjects. The students under these strands

must focus and do the best they can to excel in it. STEM has a

subject that others don’t have, as well as the other strands, that

is why, students gained different knowledge but also excel in

different tracks. All the students may have an awareness towards

this study, but the level of awareness of STEM students are more

than the level of awareness of other students from different

strands.

General Weighted Average and Awareness Towards Health Risk Brought

by Air Pollution

According to Sutherland, 2017, grades do not correlate with

a students’ intelligence. They should strive to gain knowledge,

not just for the grades. Grades only show the achievements of the

students that provides incentives to learn and provide information

that students can use for self-evaluation. Whatever the result of

the students’ general weighted average, it still cannot define the

knowledge that the students gained and the level of awareness that

the students have.

“What is the Secret of “C” Students Success,” 2019 emphasized

that when students with lower and higher grades is compared to the

C-students and A-students, C-students are better than A-students

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after graduation because they do not trust systemized educational

system and most of the time, C-students think about bigger ideas

because they are not obsessed with grades, they think more about

future, and also, C-students are fond of self-directed learning.

While the A-students are listening to the lecture, C-students

already grabbed its main topic and dream about the future.

Kuntz, 2012, said that students should focus on learning not

grades. The awareness of individuals does not depend on how high

their grades are, but it depends on the lessons they have learned

so far and the information they got from other reliable sources.
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Theoretical Framework

Air pollution is a mixture of natural and man-made substances

in the air we breathe. It is a threat to our health, especially to

children, the elderly, and people with lung and heart disease, due

to exposure to contamination of the air. Being a student, doing

the same routine every single day, nobody is safe from pollution,

even healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted

air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties

during exercise or outdoor activities.

In our generation, vehicles are used daily especially here in

Cabanatuan City, which is known as “Tricycle Capital of the

Philippines”. Also, the improvement of buildings and facilities

keep increasing in a period of time contributing smoke and gases

to the environment.

According to Thomas Friedman, the economy is increasingly

globalized. The world is overpopulated and that, importantly, the

global population is increasingly becoming middle-class. More

importantly, the one that needs the most attention is global

warming which could be caused by air pollution in the reason it

changes the earth’s temperature and ruins the balance of the earth.

These are the three major challenges facing the world according

to Thomas Friedman’s diagnosis:

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Flat

By which he means that the economy is increasingly

globalized. A lot of jobs have allowed and can open to the public

that can cause to also increase the amount of commuter and the

amount of vehicles that will route around the city. In this case,

the more the vehicles will route around the more it will emit a

carbon monoxide and other air pollutant.

Increasing economic growth and energy demand will lead to a

significant increase in global emissions of air pollutants.

Rising emissions, together with other factors, such as

climate change, will lead to increasing concentrations of

particulate matter and ground level ozone.

Increasing concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone will lead to

substantial effects on health and the environment. In particular,

premature deaths from outdoor air pollution in 2010 amounted to

around 3 million people, while they are projected to be 6-9 million

in 2060.

Crowded

Friedman means that the world is overpopulated and that,

importantly, Population Growth can also negatively affect the

atmosphere. With more people being born and living the cities, the

level of carbon dioxide emissions increase also. As the world

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becomes more over populated the more air pollution will increase.

More people will add to the pollution, their will be more drives,

home owners ect. The people are creating the pollution in the air

that will cause health problems for the people.

Human population growth and climate change have grown hand in

hand as the use of fossil fuels has exploded to support

industrialized societies. "More people means more demand for oil,

gas, coal and other fuels mined or drilled from below the Earth’s

surface that, when burned, spew enough carbon dioxide (CO2) into

the atmosphere to trap warm air inside like a greenhouse,"

notes Scientific American. Most fossil fuel consumption comes from

developed countries. It is a sobering thought that most developing

nations aspire to similar industrial economies as they experience

economic growth, which further escalates CO2 emissions into the

atmosphere.

Hot

The final problem, and the one that Friedman pays the most

attention to, is the problem of global warming the idea that the

world is becoming “hot.”

Temperature inversions have a great effect on air pollution.

Whether it's a blanket of smog over a city or the melting of ice

packs due to ozone depletion, atmospheric temperature inversions

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are intricately involved. They influence the scope and intensity

of the effects of air pollution on a temporary, localized basis

as well as long term and globally.

Surface inversions are responsible for producing smog,

trapping the pollutants produced by vehicles, fires and

industrial activities. Furthermore, the hydrocarbons and nitrogen

oxides present in these trapped pollutants are converted into

harmful ozone by sunlight, which reduces air quality. The

stratosphere’s inversion traps pollutants within the stable

layer, which is something that typically occurs when greenhouse

gases are injected high into the atmosphere by volcanic

eruptions. Without the vertical mixing provided by convection,

these gases remain suspended within the inversion layer and

result in a long-term impact on the global climate.

In Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Thomas Friedman identifies major

problems facing the world, the greatest of which is global warming.

He then argues that we can solve our own environmental problems,

and help the entire planet, by becoming a world leader in green

technology.

Friedman posits that green energy will be the next major

advancement in global economies. The need for renewable energy

technology, and for technologies that will reduce the need for

energy, will increase substantially. Therefore, he argues,

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whichever country dominates the development and production of

green technology will become (or remain) the strongest country in

the world, economically speaking.

Conceptual Framework

In this study as shown in Figure, the Independent variables

include the selected variables of the students in terms of their

age, grade level, daily use of different transportations, health

conditions and cooking paraphernalia (indoor). On the other hand,

the dependent variable is the awareness of students towards health

risk brought by air pollution.

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Research Paradigm

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLES

 Age

 Grade level Awareness of Senior High

School Students

 Sex

 Strand; and

 General

weighted

average?
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Statement of the Problem

The study was conducted to measure the awareness of SHS

students towards air pollution and the possible effects of it to

the students’ health.

1. How may be the profile of respondents described in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 sex

1.3 grade level;

1.4 strand; and

1.5 general weighted average?

2. What is the level of awareness of the respondents towards the

health risks brought by the air pollution and to what extent

are such awareness carried out?

3. Is there significant relationship between the profile of the

respondents and their awareness towards health risks brought

by the air pollution?

4. Are there significant differences in the awareness of the

respondents regarding the health risk brought by air

pollution when grouped according to:

a. sex;

b. strand; and

c. general weighted average?

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Hypotheses of the Study

Given the problems stated, the hypotheses of the study are as

follows:

1. There is no significant relationship between the profile of

the respondents and their awareness towards health risks

brought by the air pollution?

2. There is no significant differences in the awareness of the

respondents regarding the health risk brought by air

pollution when grouped according to:

a. sex;
d. Sex;

b. strand;
e. Strand; and

c. general
f. General weighted average?
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Scope and Limitations of the study

This quantitative study focused on the awareness of senior

high school students towards health risk brought by air pollution

that the researchers are studying at Good Samaritan Colleges in

Burgos Avenue, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. It was conducted fom

June to October 2019.

The respondents will be the Senior High School students of

Good Samaritan colleges. The research sample consists of students

from each strands and blocks.

The profile of the respondents will only landed to age, sex,

grade level, strand, and general weighted average.

The study would be done through implementation of

questionnaire as a references and survey, by these procedure plan,

the researchers will be able to know the awareness of Senior High

School students towards health risk brought by the air pollution.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The result of the study will be of great benefit to the

following:

Students. This study will provide knowledge to the students. It

will give enrichment and further elaboration to their prior

knowledge about risks brought by air pollution.

Future Researcher. This study will serve as a guide or a useful

reference that would give some information for the future

researchers who will make a study related to this.

Family of Students. The result and findings of the study could

give awareness to the family of the students. This study will

provide them knowledge on what possible health issues air pollution

can bring to their children’s health.

Teachers. This study will provide teachers pieces of information

on how important for students to be aware of air pollution and the

possible health risk they may get from it.

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The Researchers. The researchers will also gain information from

other people or students who will give measurements in measuring

the level of awareness towards the health risks brought by air

pollution.

Department of Health (DOH). This study will provide ideas that

will help the department to conquer the growing problem of air

pollution to the health of the people.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education

(DepEd). This study will provide ideas that will help the

department to spread awareness through education.

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DEFINITION OF TERMS

Below are the terms in the research, which the researchers

believed to be defined as:

1. Air Pollution - the presence in or introduction into the

air of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects

that bring different serious diseases to everyone.

2. A-Students- students who always listen to the lesson and

always get a high grades.

3. C-Students- students who do not care about grades but

always look at the bigger picture.

4. Commuters – Students who are mostly affected by air

pollution

5. Health Risk – health issues and problems that may be the

effects of air pollution.

6. Vehicle Emissions- testing the level of toxic gases

produced by vehicles that may also be one of the factors

of air pollution.