Knowledge, risk perception and household practices related to indoor chemical pollution in the United Arab Emirates
- 1Department of Public Health, Canadian University Dubai
- 2Department of Environmental and Public Health, Abu Dhabi University
Abstract
Introduction: Indoor chemical pollution is a residential exposure concern shaped by building materials, ventilation and everyday household practices, yet evidence remains limited in hot-arid, highly air-conditioned settings.
Materials and methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study used a non-probability convenience sample of 485 adult UAE residents. Knowledge, risk-aware attitudes, protective and source-generating practices, a formative safe-practice index, and nonspecific self-reported symptoms were analyzed. Continuous knowledge, attitude, and safe-practice scores were emphasized in primary analyses; study-defined thresholds were retained only for secondary descriptive or sensitivity analyses.
Results: The mean knowledge score was 4.32/9 (SD 2.08) and the mean risk-aware-attitude score was 5.75/11 (SD 2.24). In adjusted models, each standard-deviation increase in knowledge was associated with a 0.66-point higher attitude score (95% CI 0.47–0.86), and each standard-deviation increase in risk-aware attitude was associated with a 2.67-point higher safe-practice index (95% CI 1.63–3.71). Source-generating practice was associated with a higher symptom count (IRR 1.16 per SD, 95% CI 1.02–1.32), whereas its association with any symptom was not statistically supported (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.89–1.38).
Conclusion: Within this demographically skewed convenience sample, knowledge, attitudes and household practices showed cross-sectional associations, and source-generating practices were modestly associated with greater nonspecific self-reported symptom burden. The data do not establish a causal knowledge-attitude-practice pathway or that indoor chemicals caused reported symptoms. Representative sampling and objective exposure and health measurements are needed before population-level or causal conclusions can be drawn.
Related
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BibTeX
@article{ghach2026knowledge,
title = {{Knowledge, risk perception and household practices related to indoor chemical pollution in the United Arab Emirates}},
author = {Wissam Ghach and Rina Salhab and Massa Nakad and Mira Qoli and Nisreen Alwan and Emran Alotaibi},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1926277},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1926277/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Knowledge, risk perception and household practices related to indoor chemical pollution in the United Arab Emirates
AU - Wissam Ghach
AU - Rina Salhab
AU - Massa Nakad
AU - Mira Qoli
AU - Nisreen Alwan
AU - Emran Alotaibi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1926277
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1926277/full
AB - Introduction: Indoor chemical pollution is a residential exposure concern shaped by building materials, ventilation and everyday household practices, yet evidence remains limited in hot-arid, highly air-conditioned settings. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study used a non-probability convenience sample of 485 adult UAE residents. Knowledge, risk-aware attitudes, protective and source-generating practices, a formative safe-practice index, and nonspecific self-reported symptoms were analyzed. Continuous knowledge, attitude, and safe-practice scores were emphasized in primary analyses; study-defined thresholds were retained only for secondary descriptive or sensitivity analyses. Results: The mean knowledge score was 4.32/9 (SD 2.08) and the mean risk-aware-attitude score was 5.75/11 (SD 2.24). In adjusted models, each standard-deviation increase in knowledge was associated with a 0.66-point higher attitude score (95% CI 0.47–0.86), and each standard-deviation increase in risk-aware attitude was associated with a 2.67-point higher safe-practice index (95% CI 1.63–3.71). Source-generating practice was associated with a higher symptom count (IRR 1.16 per SD, 95% CI 1.02–1.32), whereas its association with any symptom was not statistically supported (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.89–1.38). Conclusion: Within this demographically skewed convenience sample, knowledge, attitudes and household practices showed cross-sectional associations, and source-generating practices were modestly associated with greater nonspecific self-reported symptom burden. The data do not establish a causal knowledge-attitude-practice pathway or that indoor chemicals caused reported symptoms. Representative sampling and objective exposure and health measurements are needed before population-level or causal conclusions can be drawn.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -