Scoping review maps indoor air interventions for people with COPD

Indoor particulate matter exposure is associated with worse outcomes in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This scoping review used Joanna Briggs Institute methods and PRISMA-ScR reporting to search 10 databases through August 9, 2026. Two reviewers independently screened records and charted data; agreement was κ = 0.91. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria.

The review identified air purification (11 interventions), multicomponent behavioral interventions (5), and policy-level interventions (4). Air purification and behavioral interventions addressed the “State” and “Exposure” stages of the DPSEEA framework. Policy interventions addressed “Driving forces” (2) and “Pressures” (2). No intervention targeted the “Effect” stage, and no study tested coordinated action across stages. Outcomes covered exposure, clinical and physiological measures, health-related quality of life, and behavior, but were defined inconsistently.

The review does not establish whether combining upstream and downstream measures improves outcomes. The authors call for longer follow-up, common outcome measures, and evaluation of upstream policies on household energy and housing using health outcomes. They also identify a need for equity-focused research, particularly in low-income, biomass-dependent regions. As a scoping review, it maps the available evidence rather than estimating intervention effectiveness.