Public awareness, perceptions and attitudes on air pollution and its health effects in Muscat, Oman

A survey was conducted in Muscat/Oman between February and May of 2020, with a total of 1289 respondents to investigate public knowledge, behavior, and attitudes about the air pollution via online questionnaire. We considered the disparity among gender, age and education level in four main aspects, viz. sources of access to information, knowledge and risk perception about air pollution and willingness to change and act for mitigation. Social media was a primary source of access to information regarding air pollution in Muscat. Further, the majority of the respondents were aware of the meaning of air pollution and interested in the issue of air quality, while females have a higher level of air pollution awareness than males. Over 94% of respondents were disturbed by air pollution from vehicles and other sources. Males and older participants have significantly higher level of interest about air quality information. The majority pay attention to air quality when they move outdoors but females are more susceptible than males to the effects of air pollution. Majority recognized the air pollution is always dangerous to their health, yet participants with higher education level have a higher risk perception of air pollution. Breathing contaminated air was the most common pathway of exposure to the toxic air pollutants reported by participants. Over 90% of participants care about air quality when they are performing outdoor sports activities. Most of the participants reported that they did not use public transportation to move within Muscat Governorate, their major transportation mode being private vehicle. Meanwhile, females, older participants (over 35) and postgraduate holders significantly expressed their willingness to reduce the duration of driving vehicles.Implications: This work is the first study in the country that try to investigate perception, attitude and behavior of the public about air pollution in Muscat, the capital of Oman. Use of private vehicles is a popular mode of transportation in the city and is the major contributor to the air quality issues. Any future directions by the government toward sustainable transportation need a better understanding of people's perception on the issue. The results show that most of the respondents were aware of air quality and related issues and they also expressed willingness to change their behavior to reduce air pollution.