Objective To investigate the public awareness of indoor air quality.

Methods Through an online platform and on a voluntary basis, a questionnaire survey was conducted among the public of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government (except Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan).

Results Among the respondents, 98.7% (1 038/1 052) of all expressed concern about indoor air quality to different degrees, with significant differences in the degree of concern between different ages and different educational levels (P < 0.05). In addition, 43.8% (461/1 052) of the respondents knew about the indoor air quality standard (GB/T 18883-2002), with a significant difference in awareness rates between different ages (P < 0.05). Formaldehyde, relative humidity, and inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀) received relatively high attention among the indoor air quality indicators, while benzopyrene, radioactive radon, and ammonia received relatively low attention. Among the respondents, 81.9% (862/1 052) of all preferred to use simple tools or choose professional teams to evaluate indoor air quality, with a significant difference in evaluation ways among different educational levels (P < 0.05). The main ways for the respondents to control the indoor air quality included ventilating the rooms by opening the windows, purifying the indoor air with green plants, and cleaning the rooms regularly.

Conclusion The public has certain understanding of indoor air quality. It is necessary to conduct targeted publicity and education to improve the public awareness and ability of prevention and control in indoor air pollution.