Insights into knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medicinal plant use in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

Background The use of medicinal plants remains an important component of traditional and complementary medicine in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, comprehensive studies evaluating public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding herbal medicine are limited. This study aims to evaluate KAP toward medicinal plant use in the UAE and examine the influence of sociodemographic factors. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 418 participants. The reliability and validity of the KAP questionnaire were evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha ( α = 0.870) and split-half reliability (0.794). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression models were employed to analyze the data. The Kruskal–Wallis test was applied to assess differences across sociodemographic groups. Results The majority of respondents (75%) had knowledge scores above the scale midpoint (>2.5 on a 4-point Likert scale), with higher scores among males ( p < 0.001) and middle-aged individuals (25–54 years). Positive correlations were observed between knowledge and attitude ( r = 0.659, p < 0.001), knowledge and practice ( r = 0.501, p < 0.001), and attitude and practice ( r = 0.691, p < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated that knowledge and practice significantly predicted attitude ( R 2 = 0.631, p < 0.001). Regular herbal medicine users had significantly higher KAP scores ( p < 0.001), with the strongest effect observed in the practice domain (η 2 = 0.148). Conclusion The UAE population demonstrates generally positive knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward medicinal plants, influenced by age, gender, education, and usage frequency. These findings highlight the importance of targeted public health education to promote the safe and evidence-based use of herbal medicine. Ethical approval was obtained from the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) Social Sciences Ethics Committee (Research No: ERSC_2025_5931; approved on 01/03/2025).