# Developing and Evaluating Novel Strategies for Reporting Back Individual Results of Personal Air Monitors

> **NIH NIH R21** · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · 2020 · $196,282

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The growing availability of wearable monitors that measure personal exposure to air pollution represents a
paradigm shift in exposure assessment, epidemiologic research, and citizen-science. In contrast to fixed
monitoring sites or models to estimate air pollution exposure, personal monitors provide individual-level and
actionable data that requires novel human subjects considerations. Previous biomonitoring studies that measure
environmental exposures in biological samples demonstrate that providing participants their individual results in
a meaningful way is beneficial to both participants and researchers. However, studies using personal air monitors
have not engaged participants and other stakeholders to develop understandable and actionable individual
reports nor examined whether individual reports influence knowledge, behaviors, or personal air pollution
exposure. Therefore, the primary objective of this proposal is to engage study participants and their caregivers
to develop effective report-back strategies for personal air pollution monitoring results. In addition, we will
examine the impact of providing individual results from personal air monitors on participants’ environmental
health knowledge. We will build upon our ongoing study of adolescents’ personal exposure to ultrafine particles
where our data demonstrate that real-time air pollution monitoring, in conjunction with GPS coordinates, provides
personal exposure information and compelling visualizations of when and where exposures occur through space
and time. In Aim 1, we will engage study participants and their caregivers to inform the development of
meaningful report-back materials that are easy to understand and provided in a format preferred by the intended
audience. In Aim 2, we will develop and evaluate the report-back materials, including a novel visualization tool
that allows participants to interact with their data. We will also conduct an exploratory study (Aim 2.1) to
determine whether providing individual results of personal air monitoring improves environmental health literacy
and examine the potential for this information to influence changes in behavior. Given the increasing use of
personal air monitors in research studies, citizen-science activities, and among general consumers, data from
personal air monitors accompanied by GPS coordinates offers the potential to provide actionable information to
inform behavioral modifications and guide exposure reduction strategies. This information may be especially
useful to susceptible individuals who may experience more healthy days with increased knowledge regarding
locations and times of highest air pollution exposure.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10019550
- **Project number:** 5R21ES030092-02
- **Recipient organization:** CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Patrick H Ryan
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $196,282
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-18 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10019550

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10019550, Developing and Evaluating Novel Strategies for Reporting Back Individual Results of Personal Air Monitors (5R21ES030092-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10019550. Licensed CC0.

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