· The average Singaporean falls ill between two to five times a year and more than 30% are unsure if their sickness is due to an illness or allergy
· Fewer than half of Singaporeans who suffer from chronic respiratory conditions are taking active medical action or visiting a specialist
· Seven in 10 Singaporeans believe poor indoor air quality affects their rest, rating July and September as the worst period for air quality
· Singaporeans are investing in the wrong tools to address air quality at home, with combined ownership of humidifiers and dehumidifiers at 59% as compared to air purifiers at 39%
Royal Philips, a global player in health technology, in partnership with Rakuten AIP, an Asian market research firm, has found that Singaporeans are passive about their health despite concerns about air quality management through its Healthy Air Survey.
The survey indicates that while air quality is a concern for 77% of Singaporeans, most are passive towards their respiratory health, with fewer than half of respondents visiting a specialist to address respiratory concerns. This stems from a lack of understanding of chronic respiratory conditions as well as misinformation around tools available to mitigate or manage their environments.
It was revealed that the average Singaporean falls ill between two to five times a year and 31% are unsure if their symptoms are caused by an illness or allergy. Despite this, Singaporeans recognise the importance of clean air as part of overall health, with 70% believing that good air quality improves the health of everyone in the household. However, the survey revealed a misconception on useful devices to improve indoor air quality, with more Singaporeans owning humidifiers rather than air purifiers (46% and 39% respectively) with the belief that humidifiers help remove dust and ease respiratory conditions.
As seen from the Philips Healthy Air Survey, one of the main barriers to greater adoption of air purifiers among Singaporeans is the lack of understanding about what air purifiers are for. Nearly half (45%) of respondents said that they do not know about air purifiers, while 44% find it too costly and 41% were doubtful of its results – only three in 10 Singaporeans were willing to invest in an air purifier.
Dr Chiang Wen Chin, President, Asthma and Allergy Association said, “While humidifiers add water into the air, it is not necessary for Singaporeans to humidify their home in this climate – especially since humidity is about 70–80%. Instead, a HEPA air purifier can help to remove these allergens from the living environment and reduce airborne allergens such as dust mites, viruses and bacteria that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma."
Findings of the Healthy Air Survey were released in conjunction with the launch of the Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30) connected air purifier. The purifier launch also debuts a first-to-market air purifier partnership with Air Matters for an app which can be used with the Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i to manage and reduce exposure to allergen triggers.
With the Air Matters app, users can monitor both real time PM2.5 levels and the Indoor Allergen Index, regulate the settings and the speed of their air purifier, and receive information on the filter status. Additionally, the Air Matters app also stores historical data on air quality levels and provides health advice for users, enabling them to correlate their symptoms with peaks in allergen levels.
“Poor indoor air quality is known to aggravate the symptoms of allergic diseases as long term exposure to allergens can lead to chronic respiratory conditions like asthma,” said Dr Chiang. While many are aware of common allergens found in buildings, mould spores such as Aspergillus can be a trigger for allergies and even asthma**. Choosing an air purifier with a dehumidification function helps to reduce the humidity that encourages allergens such as mould to survive.
“At Philips, we aim to empower consumers with solutions to make it easier and more sustainable to live a healthier life at home. Our heritage in healthcare combined with consumer understanding enables us to bring consumers breakthrough product innovations in collaboration with industry experts to help them take control of their personal health by narrowing the gap between professional and personal healthcare,” said Aw Ee Ling, Senior Marketing Manager, Personal Health, Philips Singapore.
The Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30) comes with three automatic modes – a General Mode, Bacteria, Virus Mode and Allergen mode, in addition to five manual modes that range from an extra-quiet ‘Sleep’ setting to the Turbo Speed mode. Specially designed for allergy sufferers, the auto Allergen mode features an algorithm to detect and react to potential allergen risks by boosting the air purifier’s airflow to effectively remove harmful airborne allergens, which may trigger asthma***.
The air purifier also features VitaShield IPS multilayer filtration technology, which is certified by the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) and Airmid to remove 99.97% of airborne particles. Air is purified through an extra thick NanoProtect HEPA Filter and an active carbon filter that removes ultrafine particles as small as 0.02 nanometers (100 times smaller than PM2.5 particles), as well as common airborne allergens, bacteria and viruses, and harmful gases such as formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and odour.
Everyday activities such as dusting and vacuuming can cause allergens to become airborne. The Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30) contains AeraSense, a professional-grade air quality sensor that detects even the slightest changes in air and automatically boosts the air purifier to effectively reduce the level or airborne particles, effectively covering large areas up to 95 m2. AeraSense also indicates real-time PM2.5 and Indoor Allergen Index levels via a large display on a scale of 1 – 12.
Details:
The Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30) retails at S$999 but is currently available at a special price of S$899 at Philips, as well as from selected electronic stores, major departmental stores and authorised dealers. Philips Air Purifiers start from S$299.
Check out the latest promotions for the #GiftofCleanAir campaign on Philips social media channels including the Philips Home & Living Facebook page.
*The survey seeks to better understand Singaporeans and their attitudes on air quality and allergy awareness. The survey spanned 250 households in Singapore and was executed in two phases, comprising of quantitative and qualitative data collection, targeting households with members suffering from asthma or other respiratory conditions, as well as households with babies or pregnant family members.
**Richard A. Sharpe et al. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2015; 135:110-22
***Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Asthma Facts and Figures. September 2015.
· Fewer than half of Singaporeans who suffer from chronic respiratory conditions are taking active medical action or visiting a specialist
· Seven in 10 Singaporeans believe poor indoor air quality affects their rest, rating July and September as the worst period for air quality
· Singaporeans are investing in the wrong tools to address air quality at home, with combined ownership of humidifiers and dehumidifiers at 59% as compared to air purifiers at 39%
 |
| Source: Philips infographic. Percentages refer to the proportion of respondents naming the pollutant as a top-three concern in the household (indoors, left) and outdoors (right) respectively. |
The survey indicates that while air quality is a concern for 77% of Singaporeans, most are passive towards their respiratory health, with fewer than half of respondents visiting a specialist to address respiratory concerns. This stems from a lack of understanding of chronic respiratory conditions as well as misinformation around tools available to mitigate or manage their environments.
It was revealed that the average Singaporean falls ill between two to five times a year and 31% are unsure if their symptoms are caused by an illness or allergy. Despite this, Singaporeans recognise the importance of clean air as part of overall health, with 70% believing that good air quality improves the health of everyone in the household. However, the survey revealed a misconception on useful devices to improve indoor air quality, with more Singaporeans owning humidifiers rather than air purifiers (46% and 39% respectively) with the belief that humidifiers help remove dust and ease respiratory conditions.
As seen from the Philips Healthy Air Survey, one of the main barriers to greater adoption of air purifiers among Singaporeans is the lack of understanding about what air purifiers are for. Nearly half (45%) of respondents said that they do not know about air purifiers, while 44% find it too costly and 41% were doubtful of its results – only three in 10 Singaporeans were willing to invest in an air purifier.
Dr Chiang Wen Chin, President, Asthma and Allergy Association said, “While humidifiers add water into the air, it is not necessary for Singaporeans to humidify their home in this climate – especially since humidity is about 70–80%. Instead, a HEPA air purifier can help to remove these allergens from the living environment and reduce airborne allergens such as dust mites, viruses and bacteria that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma."
 |
| Source: Philips. The Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30). |
With the Air Matters app, users can monitor both real time PM2.5 levels and the Indoor Allergen Index, regulate the settings and the speed of their air purifier, and receive information on the filter status. Additionally, the Air Matters app also stores historical data on air quality levels and provides health advice for users, enabling them to correlate their symptoms with peaks in allergen levels.
“Poor indoor air quality is known to aggravate the symptoms of allergic diseases as long term exposure to allergens can lead to chronic respiratory conditions like asthma,” said Dr Chiang. While many are aware of common allergens found in buildings, mould spores such as Aspergillus can be a trigger for allergies and even asthma**. Choosing an air purifier with a dehumidification function helps to reduce the humidity that encourages allergens such as mould to survive.
“At Philips, we aim to empower consumers with solutions to make it easier and more sustainable to live a healthier life at home. Our heritage in healthcare combined with consumer understanding enables us to bring consumers breakthrough product innovations in collaboration with industry experts to help them take control of their personal health by narrowing the gap between professional and personal healthcare,” said Aw Ee Ling, Senior Marketing Manager, Personal Health, Philips Singapore.
The Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30) comes with three automatic modes – a General Mode, Bacteria, Virus Mode and Allergen mode, in addition to five manual modes that range from an extra-quiet ‘Sleep’ setting to the Turbo Speed mode. Specially designed for allergy sufferers, the auto Allergen mode features an algorithm to detect and react to potential allergen risks by boosting the air purifier’s airflow to effectively remove harmful airborne allergens, which may trigger asthma***.
The air purifier also features VitaShield IPS multilayer filtration technology, which is certified by the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) and Airmid to remove 99.97% of airborne particles. Air is purified through an extra thick NanoProtect HEPA Filter and an active carbon filter that removes ultrafine particles as small as 0.02 nanometers (100 times smaller than PM2.5 particles), as well as common airborne allergens, bacteria and viruses, and harmful gases such as formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and odour.
Everyday activities such as dusting and vacuuming can cause allergens to become airborne. The Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30) contains AeraSense, a professional-grade air quality sensor that detects even the slightest changes in air and automatically boosts the air purifier to effectively reduce the level or airborne particles, effectively covering large areas up to 95 m2. AeraSense also indicates real-time PM2.5 and Indoor Allergen Index levels via a large display on a scale of 1 – 12.
Details:
The Philips Air Purifier Series 3000i (AC3259/30) retails at S$999 but is currently available at a special price of S$899 at Philips, as well as from selected electronic stores, major departmental stores and authorised dealers. Philips Air Purifiers start from S$299.
Check out the latest promotions for the #GiftofCleanAir campaign on Philips social media channels including the Philips Home & Living Facebook page.
*The survey seeks to better understand Singaporeans and their attitudes on air quality and allergy awareness. The survey spanned 250 households in Singapore and was executed in two phases, comprising of quantitative and qualitative data collection, targeting households with members suffering from asthma or other respiratory conditions, as well as households with babies or pregnant family members.
**Richard A. Sharpe et al. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2015; 135:110-22
***Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Asthma Facts and Figures. September 2015.
