Objective: To assess the extent of knowledge about symptoms relating to respiratory illnesses and home environments among a random sample of 200 urban Jordanian women. Method: This customized, validated, cross-sectional questionnaire evaluated the knowledge of these women about the association between the indoor environment and health, the presence or absence of indoor discomforts, symptoms of respiratory illnesses, and behaviors related to the home environment such as cleaning practices. Results: Results showed an alarming rate of smoking in the homes; the extent of knowledge was moderate but higher among those exhibiting symptoms and those with children. Cleaning practices associated with healthy home environments were reported at a high rate but seemed to be based on cultural influences. Conclusions: This type of information is crucial to the formation of health education programs and policy recommendations for pollutant source and exposure reductions in homes in the Middle East and other developing countries.
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