Abstract
HIGHLIGHTS: Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue? Assesses indoor air quality (IAQ) knowledge, awareness, and practices among university students in the United Arab Emirates, a population with prolonged indoor exposure. Addresses gaps in environmental health literacy related to invisible pollutants and long-term health risks in rapidly urbanizing settings. Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health? Identifies low objective IAQ knowledge and limited awareness of formal guidelines despite high perceived importance. Demonstrates a strong association between knowledge levels and engagement in protective behaviors. Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health? Supports integrating structured IAQ education into university curricula to improve environmental health literacy. Highlights the need for institutional and policy-level initiatives to promote evidence-based IAQ practices in academic settings. ABSTRACT: Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a critical determinant of environmental health, yet awareness among young adults in rapidly urbanizing regions remains unclear. This study assessed knowledge, awareness, and practices related to IAQ among university students in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, and compared outcomes between medical and non-medical disciplines, while examining associations between knowledge levels and IAQ-related behaviors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 386 undergraduate students from three universities using a pre-validated, self-administered questionnaire. Overall, 52.1% of participants had heard of IAQ. Appropriate knowledge (≥60%) was demonstrated by 26.9% of students, and only 3.4% achieved high knowledge (≥80%). Medical students were significantly more likely than non-medical students to demonstrate appropriate knowledge (38.1% vs. 18.3%; p = 0.001), and female students scored higher than males (32.8% vs. 20.3%; p = 0.006). Awareness of IAQ guidelines was limited (65.3% unaware). Although 85.2% reported engaging in at least one IAQ-improving behavior, practices were mainly limited to ventilation and avoidance of indoor smoking. Higher knowledge levels were significantly associated with protective behaviors (p < 0.001). These findings indicate limited objective knowledge despite moderate recognition of IAQ importance, underscoring the need for structured educational interventions to enhance environmental health literacy.