Knowledge on Indoor Air Quality: A Pilot Study to Validate a New Questionnaire

The study aims to identify specific gaps in people’s indoor air quality (IAQ) literacy, to design public health education programs and provide suggestions for built environment interventions. An easy-to-complete questionnaire to assess the population’s knowledge and practices regarding IAQ was developed. The tool, consisting of 30 statements on the main aspects of indoor air, was administered using a web platform (Google Forms) to a convenience population sample from various parts of the country. The pilot study included 243 respondents (52.3% male gender), with an average age of 35 years (min–max: 13–81 years), and 51.8% were graduates. Cronbach’s alpha indicated good internal consistency of the questionnaire, with a value of 0.781. Logistic regression showed that graduates had significantly higher overall knowledge of IAQ issues (OR = 1.619, p = 0.034). The pilot study showed the reliability of the questionnaire. The results, although based on a self-selected sample, are consistent with those observed in previous studies; they support the need to develop targeted training interventions, especially for people with lower educational backgrounds, technological innovation, and building resilience.