Personal interventions to reduce air pollution exposure in a representative sample of Poles aged 18–64 years

Introduction Exposure to air pollution is a major environmental hazards to human health. This study aimed to assess personal interventions to reduce air pollution exposure in a representative sample of Poles aged 18–64 years, as well as to identify factors associated with these personal interventions. Methods This is a secondary analysis of data from the nationwide cross-sectional survey carried out in December 2024 in a representative sample of adults in Poland aged 18–64 years. Questions on four personal interventions to reduce air pollution exposure were analyzed. Results In the analyzed population ( n = 5,006), the percentage of women was 49.9%, average age of 41.8 (SD = 12.59). Among the respondents, 18.2% reported closing windows at home to protect against air pollution, and 16.1% reported using air purifiers at home. Avoiding outdoor walking during high-pollution periods and monitoring air-quality alerts were reported by 12.7 and 11.8%, respectively. Males had a 15% higher odds of using at least one intervention (OR = 1.15; 95%CI: 1.02–1.31). Adults aged 25–34 showed a 48% higher odds of using at least one personal intervention compared to people aged 45–64 (OR = 1.48; 95%CI: 1.24–1.78). Residents of the largest cities (>500,000 inhabitants) were 46% more likely to implement personal interventions to reduce air pollution exposure in comparison to residents of rural areas (OR = 1.46; 95%CI: 1.19–1.78). Having children aged 4–12 years ( p < 0.05) increased the odds of implementation of personal intervention in comparison to people without children of this age. Individuals with frequent infections (≥5 per year) had 46% higher odds than those who reported not getting sick (OR = 1.46; 95%CI: 1.07–2.00). Conclusion Adults in Poland show low uptake of personal measures to reduce air pollution exposure. Socio-demographic differences in the implementation of a personal intervention to reduce air pollution were observed, with particular emphasis on gender, age, place of residence, having children, and economic status.