Abstract ID: 146
Authors:
Chitsanupong Ratarat
Bayarbaatar Bold
Zyneelia Binti Husain
Oranich Vera-Archakul
Muhammad Daniel Azlan bin Mahadzir
Jonas Karlstr ¶m
Affiliations:
Pediatric Department, Bangkok Hospital Trat, Trat, Thailand; Radiology Department, Intermed Hospital, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Emergency and Trauma Department, Sarawak General Hospital, Sarawak, Malaysia; AstraZeneca Thailand Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand; SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.
Abstract:Background: Exposure to PM2.5 is linked to more frequent and severe asthma exacerbations, especially in children. Around 10% of children in Asia have asthma, and short-term spikes in PM2.5 can raise exacerbation risk within three days. While public air quality monitoring networks exist, localized PM2.5 levels may vary significantly from central monitoring data, limiting the ability of individuals to make timely personalized health decisions. This highlights the urgent need for real-time, localized air quality monitoring to support personalized asthma management in environments affected by air pollution. Methods: A health innovation project was undertaken to design, develop and evaluate a portable, user-centered air quality monitoring device aimed at supporting asthma management among children living in pollution-affected environments. The design process starts with problem identification, algorithm creation and features selection. Next, the development process included low-fidelity prototype creation and preliminary early-adopters user interaction components to support symptom tracking and potential early medication adjustments. Results: The design process highlighted several stakeholders such as parents, healthcare providers and school teachers, who are important in the deployment of the device. The design of the dashboard required a short and succinct pop-up message with colorful buttons that increase users’ interaction. Low-fidelity prototype demonstrated technical feasibility in collecting and transmitting PM2.5 data. The prototype will enable personalized monitoring, which may help increase symptom awareness and support timely behavioural changes. This could inform earlier adjustments to asthma management plans and improve disease control under fluctuating air quality conditions. Conclusion: Personalized monitoring tools may offer a complementary approach to existing public air quality systems by providing more individualized exposure insights. Such innovations may help vulnerable populations, in this case children, to better manage pollution related health risks, advance planetary health equity, and support adaptation strategies to mitigate the health impacts of climate change.
Keywords: Climate Change and Planetary Health, Keywords: Climate Health, Planetary Health, Asthma, Air Pollution
