Predicting Indoor Air Pollution Reduction Behavior Among Urban Residents of Bangladesh Using an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) Model

Marvina Rahman Ritu, Muhammad Mainuddin Patwary , Afif Iftikhar, Md Ismay Azam Badhon, Mondira Bardhan, Imran Chowdhury Sakib, Dana Sikder, Md Pervez Kabir

Indoor air pollution (IAP), with elevated levels of fine particulate matter, significantly impacts public health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Bangladesh where reliance on biomass fuels and inadequate ventilation leads to high pollutant concentrations exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. While technological interventions have been explored, behavioral determinants of IAP reduction remain largely underexplored. Therefore, this study investigated the psychosocial determinants of indoor air pollution reduction behaviors among 410 urban residents in Bangladesh using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model following a cross-sectional study design via a 35-item structured online questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used to test the measurement model’s reliability and validity. The SEM results indicated significant positive associations of attitude (AT) (β = 0.836, p < 0.001), subjective norm (SN) (β = 0.430, p < 0.001), perceived behavioral control (PBC) (β = 0.334, p = 0.004), environmental concern (EC) (β = 0.661, p < 0.001), and actual behavior (AB) (β = 0.832, p < 0.001) with behavioral intention (BI). Moderation analysis showed that PBC moderated the relationships between AT and BI (β = –0.386, p = 0.045) and between SN and BI (β = –0.437, p = 0.021), with higher PBC linked to stronger BI regardless of AT or SN levels. Our findings highlight the significance of enhancing public health efforts in resource-limited urban settings, with interventions that strengthen behavioral control, promote environmental awareness, and social norms may enhance sustainable practices to reduce IAP.