Using Information and Communication Technologies to Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution in Bogota

Last registered on December 23, 2020
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Using Information and Communication Technologies to Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution in Bogota
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0005348
Initial registration date
January 28, 2020

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 29, 2020, 1:46 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
December 23, 2020, 6:01 PM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
Colombia
Region
Latin America

Primary Investigator

Name
Bridget Hoffmann
Affiliation
Inter-American Development Bank
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Martha Sanchez
PI Affiliation
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Allen Blackman
PI Affiliation
Inter-American Development Bank
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2020-02-01
End date
2020-06-15
Keywords
Environment & Energy, Health
Additional Keywords
air pollution, information technology, avoidance behavior, implicit attitudes, policy preferences
JEL code(s)
Q53 (Air pollution, Water Pollution, Noise, Hazardous Waste, Solid Waste, Recycling) Q51 (Valuation of Environmental Effects) D83 (Search, Learning, Information and Knowledge, Communication, Belief, Unawareness) C93 (Field Experiments)
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Many cities and countries invest in air pollution monitoring systems. However, the benefits these systems generate depend critically on how the information that they collect is used by the public. For example, Bogotá, Colombia has a robust monitoring network of over 20 stations with hourly pollutant readings that are available online and through a smartphone application called AIRE BOGOTÁ. Yet the public does not regularly use this information to engage in protective “avoidance” behaviors that would reduce their exposure to air pollution and mitigate its related adverse health effects.

Our study will focus on the provision of air quality information through AIRE BOGOTÁ in the Bogotá metropolitan area, which has chronically poor air quality. We randomly assign participants to treatment and control groups at the level of baseline survey sessions. In baseline survey sessions, the treatment group receives information on air quality and air pollution avoidance behaviors. In addition, they are encouraged to download and install the AIRE BOGOTÁ application. The control group receives encouragement to download and install a placebo application unrelated to air quality. Between the baseline and midline survey sessions, both groups receive email encouragements to interact with the application downloaded in the baseline sessions and to complete a short online survey. We will study the impact of the AIRE BOGOTÁ application on avoidance behavior, environment attitudes captured by an implicit association test, environmental behaviors and policy preferences.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Blackman, Allen, Bridget Hoffmann and Martha Sanchez. 2020. "Using Information and Communication Technologies to Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution in Bogota." AEA RCT Registry. December 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.5348-1.1
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Participants in the treatment group will receive an information session during the baseline survey session. That session will provide information about air quality in Bogotá, avoidance behavior recommended by the Bogotá city government, and suggestions on how to use air quality information in decision making. In addition, participants in the treatment group will be encouraged to download the AIRE BOGOTÁ application during the lab session. In baseline survey sessions, the control group will be encouraged to download a placebo application unrelated to air quality. After the baseline survey session, participants in the study will receive regular emails encouraging them to interact with the application downloaded during the baseline survey session and to complete a short online survey.
Intervention Start Date
2020-02-15
Intervention End Date
2020-06-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Air pollution information, avoidance behaviors, environmental attitudes
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Beliefs about air pollution trends and levels
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Using a randomized control trial, we will assess the hypothesis that providing individuals relevant information about local air quality affects avoidance behavior and measures of environmental behaviors, attitudes, and policy demand. We will measure changes in avoidance behaviors and environmental behaviors, attitudes, and policy demand through baseline and endline surveys, each of which will include an implicit association test. These surveys will be administered in the University of Rosario’s Rosario Experimental and Behavioral Economics Lab (REBEL).
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by computer
Randomization Unit
Laboratory session
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
approximately 40 laboratory sessions (depending on recruitment and schedules)
Sample size: planned number of observations
750-1,000 individuals (depending on recruitment)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Approximately half the participants will be assigned to the treatment group and half the participants will be assigned to the control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Innovations for Poverty Action
IRB Approval Date
2019-12-19
IRB Approval Number
#15344
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials