Responses to PM2.5 and Socioeconomic Conditions: A Case Study of Motorcycle Taxi Drivers in Din Daeng District, Bangkok

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study behavioral responses to small dust particulate matter 2.5 microns (PM_2.5) among motorcycle taxi drivers in Din Daeng District, Bangkok. By using a questionnaire, the sample group consisted of 312 motorcycle drivers from the Yamane sampling method at 95% confidence level.The respondents' behavioral responses regarding N95-mask wearing were divided into three groups: 30.08 % of those wearing all day;

21.05 % of those wearing not unusally; and 47.08% of those not wearing. By average, the drivers spent ฿ 1,577.53 /household/year or ฿ 492,190 /year on the masks, based on the level of measurement classified by socioeconomic conditions: education level, salary, and the presence of congenital diseases related to respirations. Due to the behavioral responses, there were three implications: going to work regardless of the dust accumulation exceeding standard value; increasing cost of mask purchase; and increasing cost .of respiratory disease tests. The results showed that the level of education was related to the increase in cost of purchasing masks; and salaries were associated with an increasing cost of respiratory disease tests. With the Chi-square analysis, there were the respiratory diseases related with an increasing cost of mask purchase at the 0.05 level statistically.