Abstract

The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is comprised of diverse populations that as a whole are medically underserved and experience significant air pollution. Two-hour interactive outreach sessions were provided at three local high schools in Fresno and Madera to students in health careers pathways. Librarians and student doctors from a local osteopathic medical school guided high school students in health professions pathways through activities to understand the causes of poor air quality in the SJV; describe the different parts of the respiratory system and how air pollutants impact it; identify steps they can take to monitor the air quality and adjust their activities to protect their health; how zip code is a fairly accurate predictor of health; and access National Library of Medicine resources for reliable health information. A comparison of pre and post surveys showed a large improvement in an understanding of what the air quality index (AQI) is, how air pollutants impact different body systems, and lifestyle modifications to reduce the health impacts of air pollution. Outreach sessions to high school students can be effective in increasing knowledge of environmental health issues.