Introduction
Air pollution is a major environmental problem with important health consequences that affects billions of people around the world [One potential factor associated with the disconnect between the state of the scientific knowledge and the public’s behavioral and lifestyle choices towards the environment may be due to a lack of awareness and understanding of the available knowledge [The aim of this study was to determine whether a short one-time interactive teaching session on air pollution can shift the behavioral choices of adolescents towards environmentally friendlier options. We hypothesized that educating adolescents about the health effects of air pollution through a short one-time interactive evidence-based teaching session would improve their long-term understanding of human contribution to air pollution and shape their behavior to make personal choices that are more environmentally friendly. To examine this hypothesis, we developed a one-hour interactive evidence-based teaching session about air pollution and its effects on climate change and human health along with a questionnaire survey with domains to assess understanding and behavioral choices. The teaching session and questionnaire were then used in a randomized controlled trial to examine the hypothesis stated above.