en Public Health Public Health پژوهشي Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:1;"><b><span style="color:black">Background:</span></b><span style="color:black"> In educational settings, violations of personal space may influence students&rsquo; learning performance. Designing seating layouts considering personal space dimensions enhances students&rsquo; learning efficacy and concentration. This study aimed to measure students&rsquo; personal space and presenting a design for the university library seating layout. </span><br> <b><span style="color:black">Methods:</span></b><span style="color:black"> This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 among 224 students in the faculty of public health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Data on demographic characteristics were collected using a structured demographics questionnaire and personal space size was measured through the Stop-Distance procedure. Measurements were taken using active and passive trials, with confederates of both genders approaching participants from eight main directions. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, applying descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and one-way ANOVA. </span><br> <b><span style="color:black">Results:</span></b><span style="color:black"> The students maintained shorter distances when interacting with individuals of the same gender compared to those of the opposite gender. They also exhibited greater distances toward confederates approaching from the south and southeast orientations (<i>P-value</i> < 0.05). Based on the 95^th percentile of measured distances, a revised seats layout was proposed to provide students with more adequate space.</span><br> <b><span style="color:black">Conclusion:</span></b><span style="color:black"> The students exhibit distinct patterns in the size and orientation of their personal space. A library seats layout tailored to students&rsquo; personal space requirements can create a more comfortable study environment, ultimately enhancing their academic experience.</span></span></span></span></div> Personal space, Students, Seats’ layout, Library, 0 0 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-637-6&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Seyed Reza Azimi Pirsaraei azimi@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460016379 100319475328460016379 No Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Reza Kalantari rezae218@yahoo.com 100319475328460016380 100319475328460016380 Yes Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Niloofar Shabani Arbusara Niloofar.shabani.arb@gmail.com 100319475328460016381 0009-0009-1369-3153 No Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Amir Reza Abidi Abidiamirreza7@gmail.com 100319475328460016382 0009-0006-4726-5075 No Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Parsa Fooladi Parsafooladi1382@gmail.com 100319475328460016383 0009-0009-0903-0373 No Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.