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Cultural Norms and Economic Status in Relation to Responses to Air Pollution in Brgy. Palagay, Cabanatuan City
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Environmental and Health Care
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718143
Abstract
Air pollution is a pressing public health concern whose impact is mediated by socio-cultural and economic factors at the community level. This descriptive-correlational study examined the relationship between cultural norms, economic status, and responses to air pollution among 350 randomly selected adult residents of Barangay Palagay, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Data were gathered using a validated survey questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Results show that residents demonstrate high individual environmental responsibility (overall mean = 2.84) but a notable gap exists between awareness (mean = 3.33) and preventive action (mean = 2.76). Cultural norms — attitude toward environmental responsibility (r = .143, p = .006), community participation (r = -.299, p < .001), and family/peer influence (r = .183, p < .001) — were all significantly related to pollution responses. Economic status showed the strongest correlation (r = .446, p < .001), indicating that higher-income households have greater capacity for protective responses while lower-income households bear a disproportionate health burden. Findings underscore the need for culturally informed, economically inclusive air pollution interventions at the barangay level.
Keywords
Air Pollution, Barangay-Level Study, Cultural Norms, Economic Status, Environmental Behavior, Philippines
How to cite this paper
@article{1718143,
author = {Engr. Alelie Joy Alejo, Lenard Carpio, Jahn Irish Clariza, Adrian Guinto; Lhujille Yuki Martinez, Erna Joy Policarpio; Lian Jana Simbulan},
title = {Cultural Norms and Economic Status in Relation to Responses to Air Pollution in Brgy. Palagay, Cabanatuan City},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {11},
pages = {4412-4418},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718143.pdf},
abstract = {Air pollution is a pressing public health concern whose impact is mediated by socio-cultural and economic factors at the community level. This descriptive-correlational study examined the relationship between cultural norms, economic status, and responses to air pollution among 350 randomly selected adult residents of Barangay Palagay, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Data were gathered using a validated survey questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Results show that residents demonstrate high individual environmental responsibility (overall mean = 2.84) but a notable gap exists between awareness (mean = 3.33) and preventive action (mean = 2.76). Cultural norms — attitude toward environmental responsibility (r = .143, p = .006), community participation (r = -.299, p < .001), and family/peer influence (r = .183, p < .001) — were all significantly related to pollution responses. Economic status showed the strongest correlation (r = .446, p < .001), indicating that higher-income households have greater capacity for protective responses while lower-income households bear a disproportionate health burden. Findings underscore the need for culturally informed, economically inclusive air pollution interventions at the barangay level.},
keywords = {Air Pollution, Barangay-Level Study, Cultural Norms, Economic Status, Environmental Behavior, Philippines},
month = {May},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718143}
}