Assessment of Public Perception and Health Impact of Smog among Adults in Lahore

Abstract

Smog is a major environmental and public health concern in Pakistani cities, particularly in Lahore, where seasonal air pollution has a negative impact on people's physical and emotional well-being. This cross-sectional study aimed to: (1) examine how adults perceive and understand pollution; (2) examine the health consequences of smog exposure; and (3) examine the connection between health outcomes, protective behaviors, and climate change awareness. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 369 persons (18 years of age or older) who had lived in Lahore for at least a year. To guarantee that the participants were varied in terms of age, occupation, and educational attainment, convenient sampling was employed. A systematic questionnaire that includes sociodemographic data, a Knowledge and Perception Questionnaire, a Smog and Climate Change Questionnaire, and a Health Impact Assessment Checklist was used to acquire the data. The results demonstrated that most participants had a high level of perception (77.8%) and knowledge (94.9%) on the health dangers linked to smog. Furthermore, 81.6% of interviewees acknowledged that climate change is a contributing factor to smog. According to the results of the health evaluation, respiratory symptoms were reported most frequently (mean score 2.66), while cardiovascular health problems were reported the least (mean score 1.86). The average ratings for general health complaints, skin and eye discomfort, and neurological and mental health issues varied from 2.35 to 2.40, suggesting that these were equally common. Climate change and the sense or knowledge of smog were shown to be strongly correlated, as was the use of masks or spending less time outside. However, the limited correlations between knowledge levels and health outcomes demonstrated a gap between awareness and behavioral adaptation. These findings suggest that while urban adults in Lahore understand the implications and causes of smog and the relationship to climate change, their concern may not always translate into meaningful health protection behaviors. Thus, if protective behaviors are to improve, public health interventions must utilize educational strategies that include structural supports, opportunities for real-time air quality monitoring, and considerations with framing resiliency to climate. To address the avoidable health impacts of smog in densely populated urban environments, both environmental and behavioral determinants of exposure must be targeted in the public health policy.