Knowledge, perceptions of risks, attitudes and practices of environmental health among university students in northern Malaysia

Environmental problems have attracted worldwide attention as people are becoming increasingly conscious of a variety of problems like global warming and water and land pollution. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of environmental health knowledge, perceptions of environmental health risks and practices of university students. An online questionnaire was designed and administered to students at a public university located in the northern region of West Malaysia. All students at Bertam Campus, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Pulau Pinang, studying Diploma in Pharmacy, Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology, Diploma in Environmental Health, Pre-diploma (Science) or Pre-diploma (Commerce), were invited to participate in this study. Only half of the students possessed good knowledge (score ≥76.6%) of environmental health. The level of knowledge was higher among students from science stream education and diploma students compared to pre-diploma students. Of note, most students were aware of the risks of hazards towards the environment, exhibited environmentally friendly consumer practices and had highly supportive pro-environmental attitudes. The results identified the knowledge, perceptions and practices of the students, contributing relevant data to future interventions of environmental health.